Israeli Merhav Offers Major Gas Processing Plant, Other Big Projects to Turkmenistan

Ashgabat, 26 June 2007 (nCa) --- Israeli company Merhav would do a number of new projects in Turkmenistan. One of the projects would clean and process 4 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. There are a number of other projects proposed by Merhav.

Some details of the projects were released by the Turkmen government Tuesday after a meeting between President Berdymuhammedov and Yusef Maiman, head of the Israeli company Merhav and a long term partner of Turkmenistan.

A gas processing and cleaning plant would be established at the Tarabil and Gurrukbil fields. It would have output capacity of 4 billion cubic meters per annum, giving considerable boost to the export capacity of Turkmenistan. Secondary units of the plant would process gas condensates.

Another project proposed by Maiman is a fertilizer factory that would produce potassium fertilizers. It would employ 500 persons and would not only meet the local demand but there would be surplus production for export.

Agriculture, which is a traditional area of cooperation between Merhav and Turkmenistan, would also see some projects related to the agro-industrial complex. The core project offered by Merhav would help increase cotton production in Turkmenistan.

Related to agriculture, another project presented by Maiman was a greenhouse complex for growing vegetables and citrus fruit the year round. Merhav promises that it would increase vegetable production by as much as 300%.

A dairy project based on 500 cows was also in the portfolio of Maiman. The project includes the whole line of milk products including yoghurt, cheese and kifir. It may be possible to offer such projects to each province of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting Merhav and Turkmenistan agreed to establish partnership in education and healthcare sectors. A subsidiary of Merhav may open in each province professional schools, laboratories, multipurpose training centres, and also introduce special programmes developed for general education. There would be separate provisions for teenage children.

President Berdymuhamemdov invited Merhav to consider participation in the development of North-South transport corridor. He also asked Maiman consider developing the salt and mineral deposits in Garabogaz andn Gizilkaya areas, that lie in the route of the North-South corridor.