Chinese Enterprise Completes Capacity Expansion and Renovation Project of Asphalt Plant in Kazakhstan

Facilities of the Caspian Asphalt Plant in Aktau, Kazakhstan, photographed on May 5

The commissioning ceremony for the capacity expansion and renovation project of the Caspian Asphalt Plant was held on May 5 in the western Kazakh city of Aktau.

The project, undertaken by China’s CITIC Construction Co., Ltd., has increased the plant's annual crude oil processing capacity from 1 million tons to 1.5 million tons, while the annual asphalt output has risen from 500,000 tons to 750,000 tons. This will effectively alleviate the shortage of road asphalt needed for Kazakhstan’s infrastructure construction, marking yet another practical cooperation achievement under the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Kazakhstan.

President of Kazakhstan’s National Oil and Gas Company, Khasenov, stated that during the renovation process, the quality and efficiency of the Chinese construction were “remarkable,” fully demonstrating their professional project management capabilities and commitment to contract performance.

Liu Hongliang, the project manager of CITIC Construction, said the project team would continue to deepen their presence in the Kazakh market, promoting the implementation of vital projects urgently needed by the local community and contributing to the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Caspian Asphalt Plant is the first large-scale petrochemical project built in Kazakhstan after its independence and the only refinery in Central Asia specializing in the production of high-standard road asphalt. The plant was commissioned in 2013, jointly invested by China CITIC Group and Kazakhstan National Oil and Gas Company, with CITIC Construction as the contractor.

As the demand for road construction in Kazakhstan continues to grow, the capacity expansion and renovation project was officially launched in May last year, with CITIC Construction carrying out the upgrade and expansion work on the original site.