Astana (TDI): Kazakhstan plans to significantly boost its fuel exports by the year 2040 under a newly approved long-term oil refining strategy.
The plan, which aims to triple earlier projections, envisions that up to 30 percent of the country’s total fuel production will be sent abroad within the next 15 years.
The government has just greenlit a new oil refining poilicy that will guide the sector through 2040. The plan marks a clear shift in direction, with a strong focus on increasing refinery output and boosting fuel exports, especially to major markets such as China, India, and nearby Central Asian nations.
Just last year, the energy ministry had floated a draft plan that capped exports at 10 percent, and only in cases where domestic supplies exceeded demand. The new approach marks a clear departure from that cautious stance.
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Kazakhstan’s refining industry has already seen major investments in recent years. Modernization of the country’s three largest refineries, Atyrau, Pavlodar, and Shymkent, has pushed processing capacity to 17 million tons annually. The new target is to more than double that to 39 million tons per year by 2040.
According to the Ministry of Energy, the quality of refined products has also improved, with motor fuels now meeting Euro-4 standards and beyond.
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“We’re currently meeting 90 to 95 percent of domestic demand, which gives us a strong foundation for expanding into exports,” the ministry said in a recent statement.
The strategy also includes plans for a new petrochemical complex, aimed at pushing refining efficiency up to 94 percent.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
