Turkmenbashi Oil Processing Complex (TOPC), Turkmenistan’s flagship oil refinery, will establish a profitable production of high-quality needle coke.
According to the Turkmenistan Oil and Gas newspaper, Westport Trading Europe Limited (USA), which owns the patented technology of an innovative method for the production of needle coke, is looking to establish the commercial production of such oil product in Turkmenistan.
Advantage of needle coke is that it contains significantly less ash impurities and sulfur compared to ordinary metallurgical coke.
Today, there is a high demand for needle coke on the world market and its market price is constantly increasing. In China alone, demand for it in 2020 will reach 600 thousand tons.
The production of the new oil product will allow Turkmenistan to supply international market with the high-quality goods, which are of high demand in India, China, the EU and the CIS.
Needle coke is a key raw material for the production of UHP graphite electrodes that are widely used in heavy industry, metallurgy, defense, electronic and nuclear industries, as well as in the production of electric vehicles.
Over the past years, Westport Trading Europe Limited has been engaged in the construction and reconstruction of the TOPC facilities.
Commissioned in 1943, TCOR has undergone major renovation in 2008. Today, the facility produces unleaded motor gasoline, aviation and technical kerosene, jet and diesel fuel, fuel oil, lubricating oil, polypropylene, heating oil, light gas oil, petroleum electrode coke, liquefied natural gas, construction and road bitumen and other petrochemical products – all which have export potential, given global demands.
