Shymkent Chemical Company LLP (Kazakhstani legal name: ТОО «Шымкентская Химическая Компания» / ТОО «Шымкент Химиялық Компаниясы») is a private Kazakhstani petrochemical manufacturer incorporated as a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP / ТОО) under Kazakhstani law, registered on 6 June 2016. The company was established to develop, construct, and operate the first fully integrated chemical plant within the "Ontustik" Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the city of Shymkent, southern Kazakhstan.
ShChC LLP is a project company and member of the Holding Group of Companies "ALMEX" (also referenced as Almeks Holding Group JSC). In 2016, the ALMEX Group made the decision to invest in the MTBE plant construction project. The ALMEX Group, linked to Kazakhstani businessman Timur Kulibayev and associates, also holds interests in other Kazakhstani petrochemical ventures, including a 1% participatory stake in Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Inc. LLP (KPI Inc.) via Firma Almeks Plus LLP.
The plant celebrated its 5th anniversary of operations in May 2026, confirming commercial commissioning in 2021.
Business Activity and Industrial Role
ShChC LLP operates Kazakhstan's largest standalone MTBE production plant, with a stated production capacity of 57,000 tonnes per year of MTBE following the commissioning of Phase 1 in 2021. The plant is described as capable of fully covering Kazakhstan's domestic market demand for MTBE as an octane-boosting fuel additive, and currently produces more than half of the additives required for high-octane fuel production in Kazakhstan.
The original project scope — announced during the construction phase — included a second phase for polypropylene (PP) production at 100,000 t/y capacity alongside 80,000 t/y of MTBE. However, as of 2026, only MTBE production has been publicly confirmed as operational, with the polypropylene train and the expanded MTBE capacity apparently not yet commissioned or restructured.
Financing
The plant was financed through a combination of:
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Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) loan: 9 billion KZT (~$23.9 million at time of financing), term up to 10 years
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Shymkent Chemical Company LLP equity: 4.7 billion KZT (~$12.5 million)
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Total project investment (Phase 1): ~13.7 billion KZT (~$36.4 million)
Total project cost for the original two-phase scope was stated at 28 billion KZT (~$74 million at 2018 rates). DBK is a confirmed ongoing financial partner, having supported ShChC LLP over more than 8 years as part of its strategic financing of Shymkent industrial enterprises.
Location and SEZ Advantages
The plant is located within the "Ontustik" (South) Special Economic Zone in Shymkent, which provides preferential tax and customs treatment under Kazakhstani SEZ legislation. This location also places the plant in immediate proximity to the PetroKazakhstan Oil Products LLP (PKOP) Shymkent Refinery, which is the natural feedstock supplier for the isobutylene and isobutane streams required for MTBE synthesis.
Export Markets
ShChC LLP is explicitly export-oriented. Confirmed export destinations for MTBE include Russia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, and Iran.
Strategic Significance
As of 2025–2026, ShChC LLP is one of four active petrochemical producers in Kazakhstan cited by the Ministry of Energy, alongside KPI Inc. (polypropylene, Atyrau), Neftekhim LTD (PP and MTBE, Pavlodar), and ANPZ (aromatics, Atyrau). Its 57,000 t/y MTBE plant directly supports Kazakhstan's Euro-5 fuel quality upgrade programme by supplying the oxygenate additive required for high-octane K5+ gasoline blending. The plant has now been operational for five years and produces more than half of the additives required for high-octane fuel production in Kazakhstan.
