Photo: alliedbiofuels.com
The foreign company Allied Biofuels will build a $5.9 billion plant for the production of eco-friendly aviation fuel in the Tuprakkala district of Khorezm region, Uzbekistan. The facility will be the first fully integrated biorefinery in Central Asia, the company told Gazeta.uz.
The agreement was signed by company head Alfred Benedict and Khorezm regional governor Jurabek Rakhimov during the International Investment Forum in Khiva. Under the deal, regional authorities allocated land for the project and pledged to provide the plant with water supply.
Business plans call for the annual production of 382,000 tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), 152,000 tons of electro-synthetic fuel (e-SAF), and 11,000 tons of renewable (“green”) diesel. The latter will be produced using hydrogen generated by electrolysers with a capacity of 2 GW.
According to the company, the project fully aligns with Uzbekistan’s national climate strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
“Producing zero-emission fuel on an industrial scale will replace the use of fossil fuels in transport and industry, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and accelerate the country’s transition to green energy,” Allied Biofuels said.
Commenting on the signing, Benedict called the deal “historic” for the company. Rakhimov thanked him for choosing Khorezm, noting that the project will strengthen the region’s role as a hub of green energy, create hundreds of jobs, and make a significant contribution to the local economy.
Allied Biofuels was registered in Uzbekistan in July of this year. Its head, Alfred Benedict, also leads the Australian company Allied Green Ammonia.
Earlier, in April, Uzbekistan’s Ministry for Attracting Foreign Investments signed a memorandum with the company on cooperation. At the time, plans were discussed to build a plant in the country for the production of urea, aviation fuel, and diesel fuel using renewable energy and biomass, with the company ready to invest $5.5 billion.
On September 12, Khorezm authorities reported to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev that Australian partners intended to build a facility in Tuprakkala for the production of eco-friendly aviation fuel and green diesel. At the time, the announced investment was $820 million, and it was noted that the project would require solar panels with a capacity of 4 GW on 5,500 hectares to supply the plant with electricity.
