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First Batch Of Gasoline From Turkmenistan Arrives In Afghanistan

By Azamat Batyrov July 2, 2019

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Tank cars and gas trucks, carrying approximately 60 tons of ECO-93 gasoline and liquefied natural gas gasoline from the Turkmenistani town of Ovadan Depe, arrived in Afghanistan on Monday. / turkmenistan.gov.tm

The first shipment of gasoline produced at the world’s largest gas-to-gasoline refinery, located in Turkmenistan, has been delivered to Faryab Province, located in northern Afghanistan.

Tank cars and gas trucks, carrying approximately 60 tons of ECO-93 gasoline and liquefied natural gas gasoline from the Turkmenistani town of Ovadan Depe, arrived in Afghanistan on Monday via a railway line that connects Atamyrat in Turkmenistan to the Ymamnazar border crossing point and Afghanistan’s customs facilities at the Aqina border checkpoint.

With the world’s fifth largest natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan launched its first gas-to-liquids plant to process natural gas to liquid fuel on June 28. The refinery is expected to process 1.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas and produce 600,000 tons of A-92, or Euro-5 standard gasoline, per year.

The facility, which costs roughly $1.7 billion, was constructed by Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Turkey’s Ronesans Endustri Tesisleri. The project was sponsored by Japan Bank for International Co-operation, which covered 85 percent of the total costs. Kawasaki served as the project’s manager, while Renaissance oversaw civil engineering work and equipment assembly.

Officials in Turkmenistan have had an interest in helping rebuild war-torn Afghanistan after decades of conflict. The Turkmenistani government is in favor of providing targeted international economic assistance to Afghanistan primarily in the form of infrastructure and energy projects.

Initiatives that are expected to boost the Afghan economy include the $10 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, known as TAPI. In 2008, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan signed a framework agreement to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan, which would be transported through the pipeline. Construction on the project began in Turkmenistan in 2015, while the Afghan side launched its part in 2018. The Taliban have vowed to cooperate and not disrupt the pipeline in areas it controls.

The pipeline is expected to supply about 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year from Galkynysh gas field in southeastern Turkmenistan to western and southern territories of Afghanistan, as well as central Pakistan and northwestern parts of India. Five bcm out of the entire volume will be absorbed by Afghanistan, while Pakistan and India will receive 14 bcm each.

At the same time, the $2 billion Lapis Lazuli transport and trade project is expected to help Afghanistan get its good to world markets along the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, heading westward to Europe.

The route includes railroads that pass through the Afghan cities of Aqina in the north and Torghundi in the west, and link to Turkmenistan’s Turkmenbashi port city along the Caspian Sea and Atamyrat city on the northeast.

The railway from Atamyrat to Aqina customs facilities in northern Afghanistan was launched in November 2016. The same railway was used to transport Turkmenistan’s gasoline to Afghanistan on Monday.