At the Turkmenistan Investment Forum (TIF 2025), held on 18–19 September in the National Tourist Zone Awaza on the Caspian Sea coast, Tanryguly Atayev, Acting Chairman of the State Concern “Turkmenhimiya”, delivered a presentation focused on attracting investment into the country’s chemical industry and outlining promising new projects.
Turkmenistan, endowed with some of the world’s largest reserves of natural gas and hydro-mineral resources, is steadily implementing a national strategy aimed at economic diversification.
According to Atayev, the chemical industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of Turkmenistan’s economy. The government provides substantial support to this sector, channeling major investments and creating the necessary conditions for sustainable growth. The backbone of the industry is formed by enterprises under the State Concern “Turkmenhimiya,” which operate with cutting-edge technologies and equipment sourced from leading countries. Production processes are fully automated, ensuring high-quality output that meets international standards.
Among the key products manufactured at the concern’s plants are:
- Potash, urea, ammonium nitrate,
- Technical iodine and iodized table salt,
- Industrial salt and sodium sulfate,
- Carbon black, sulfuric acid,
- ECO-93 gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas,
- Desulfurized diesel fractions.
The development strategy of Turkmenistan’s chemical sector prioritizes the maximum utilization of domestic raw materials.
The country ranks among the world leaders in reserves of iodine and hydro-mineral resources, including crystalline and surface salts of the Garabogaz Bay and underground iodine-bromine waters. This unique bay is the largest deposit of sodium sulfate and other minerals globally, serving as an inexhaustible source for producing magnesium, sodium salts, and bromine-based compounds.
The global iodine market is expanding, driven by the element’s wide use in pharmaceuticals, electronics, and consumer goods, creating opportunities for Turkmenistan to increase production and exports.
A significant part of Atayev’s presentation focused on strategic agreements signed during Turkmenistan’s National Day at World Expo 2025.
Three framework agreements were concluded between Turkmenhimiya and company groups from Japan (including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Asia Pacific) and the Republic of Türkiye (Çalik Enerji Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.):
- Construction of a second natural gas-to-gasoline plant in Ahal Province, including full design, supply, and turnkey construction;
- Construction of a new urea plant with a production capacity of 1.155 million tons per year in the village of Kiyanly in Balkan Province;
- Comprehensive overhaul of the polymer production plant in Kiyanly.
In future, Turkmenistan plans to implement new investment initiatives aimed at producing innovative chemical products in line with the country’s development programs.
Most of these projects will be financed through large-scale foreign investment, reflecting Turkmenistan’s growing integration into international industrial cooperation.
“The State Concern ‘Turkmenhimiya’ calls on our reliable partners to actively participate in the development of Turkmenistan’s chemical industry and the implementation of future projects. We are committed to expanding our business relationships based on mutually beneficial cooperation,” Atayev concluded. ///nCa, 23 September 2025