PNHZ announces four-year maintenance cycle and fuel oil exit by 2031
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The Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant (PNHZ) announced plans on Friday to adopt a three-year maintenance cycle by 2028 and a four-year cycle for new units by 2031, alongside a complete exit from fuel oil production. General Director Majday Akhmetov said the modernization of existing facilities will boost crude processing by 300,000 tonnes per year. The shift comes as the plant currently shuts down annually for repairs, with the next one scheduled from September 18 to October 17.
Maintenance Cycle Overhaul
PNHZ currently undergoes annual shutdowns for maintenance, with the last closure lasting from September 18 to October 17, 2026. By 2028, completion of the modernization of existing units will allow a three-year inter-repair interval, increasing oil processing by 300,000 tonnes annually. The subsequent expansion project, raising capacity from 6 million to 9 million tonnes per year, is expected to be completed in 2031 and will introduce a four-year cycle exclusively for new technological facilities.
Phasing Out Fuel Oil
After the expansion, PNHZ plans to cease producing fuel oil entirely and focus on Euro V motor fuels, provided there is no external demand requirement. The technical-economic feasibility study for the expansion is currently underway, with completion targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The plant's shift to light products aligns with Kazakhstan's broader refining modernization efforts.
What's Next
The feasibility study is due in early 2027, after which investment decisions will follow. Whether Kazakhstan's fuel market will fully absorb the shift away from fuel oil remains an open question.
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PNHZ announces four-year maintenance cycle and fuel oil exit by 2031
