NUR-SULTAN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Oil-rich Kazakhstan has dreamt of building its petrochemical industry for decades. A Chinse firm is helping make the dream a reality.
In western Kazakhstan's Atyrau Region, the construction of the country's largest petrochemical complex built by the China National Chemical Engineering Group is in full swing.
Once completed, it will become a pilot project of the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Kazakh-proposed Bright Path economic policy.
As a key cooperation project between Kazakhstan and China, the complex will produce up to 500,000 tons of polypropylene per year, a raw material widely used in mechanical engineering, medicine and electrical engineering.
Over 65 different types of polypropylene will be produced, said Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries, which develops and operates the project, in a press release in April.
Some Kazakh industrial operators told local media that this project will open up new prospect for Kazakhstan's chemical industry and build up its industrial might.
With the contract worth some 1.79 billion U.S. dollars, the project began construction in 2018 and is about to enter the trial production stage.
Ma Jun, a manager on installation works, told Xinhua that when he first arrived at the construction site, he only saw endless barren alkali land, where only camel thorns grow.
Four years on, the project is well on its way in spite of COVID-19 woes.
Zhang Yuewei, the deputy project manager, said, "When the pandemic rampaged, everyone was sticking to the post while observing strict anti-pandemic measures under close-loop management."
Meanwhile, the Beijing headquarters have sent more than 1,000 Chinese workers back to Atyrau on chartered flights for the resumption of work.
Now the project has taken shape and is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of this year.
According to Zhang, by February 2022, the project has completed 180,000 cubic meters of concrete pouring, 30,000 tons of steel structure installation and 1,000 sets of equipment installation.
So far, over 40 local subcontractors have taken part in the project, providing over 3,000 local jobs, Ma said.
The Chinese team has cooperated closely with local partners, giving full play to their respective strengths. Chinese engineers also introduced Chinese technology knowhow and management concepts to their Kazakh colleagues. ■
