Tomohiro Takashina, Director of the Turkmenistan Representative Office of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., highlighted the company’s 20-year partnership with Turkmenistan at the International Conference “Development of Construction, Industrial, Chemical and Energy Sectors of Turkmenistan” (CIET 2025), focusing on the flagship GTG-1 gas-to-gasoline plant. The facility has become a symbol of Japan-Turkmenistan cooperation and environmental innovation.
Kawasaki has operated in Turkmenistan for over two decades, delivering three major projects: the Kelete cement plant (commissioned in 2005), the Mary fertilizer plant (launched in 2014 with the State Concern “Turkmenkhimiya” and Turkish Rönesans Holding), and GTG-1.
Technology and Production: From Gas to “Green” Gasoline
Located in area near Ashgabat, the GTG-1 plant was built by a Kawasaki-Rönesans consortium with financing from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Construction spanned from May 2015 to June 2019.
The production process relies on Kawasaki’s cutting-edge technology:
- Autothermal Reforming: Natural gas is converted into syngas using gaseous oxygen.
- Methanol Synthesis: Syngas is transformed into methanol.
- Gasoline Synthesis: Methanol passes through a dedicated reactor to produce gasoline.
- Refining and Shipment: The final product meets Euro-5 standards and is ready for export.
The plant produces 1,800 tons of gasoline per day and 350 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a byproduct. LPG is used for the plant’s internal energy needs (energy circulation) and exported on demand.
Environmental focus is central: GTG-1 gasoline is 100% synthetic, free of heavy metals, sulfur, and other harmful impurities. The closed-loop process minimizes CO₂ emissions. As Takashina emphasized, GTG-1 has significantly enhanced Turkmenistan’s image as a nation adopting green technologies and energy innovations.
Future Prospects: GTG-2 as a Continuation of Success
In April 2025, during President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s official visit to Japan, a framework agreement for GTG-2 was signed.
Drawing on Kawasaki’s extensive experience in designing and building such facilities, both Turkmen and Japanese parties expressed commitment to implementing the second GTG-2 complex with the same consortium—Rönesans and Itochu Corporation.
GTG-1 in Turkmenistan represents a story of technological breakthrough, a model of sustainable resource transformation into value, and the advancement of green technologies, establishing Turkmenistan as a leader in gas chemistry in Central Asia. ///nCa, 3 November 2025