During a press tour in Karshi on August 25, the chairman of Uzbekneftegaz, Bakhodirjon Sidiqov, commented on the return of 67 wagons of oil products from Uzbekistan by Afghanistan.

According to him, reports that the returned diesel fuel (which is called GTL diesel) was handed over to gas stations in Uzbekistan are fake.

“They say that gas stations are selling not accurate low-quality gasoline. This is not accurate information. We did not gave away anywhere the products that were returned from Afghanistan. They are in containers and will be sold elsewhere. Perhaps we will sell it on the domestic market,” he said.

He noted that this was the diesel fuel, which is produced at the Uzbekistan GTL plant.

“This is a new type of product. This standard does not exist in Afghanistan. They didn’t understand this,” he said and showed reporters a transparent liquid that looked like water.

Bakhodirjon Sidiqov suggested that the reason for the return of fuel was "some parties that did not want Uzbekistan to enter the Afghan market", and also said that this product is exported to the European market.

“We supplied this product. Quality wise it is totally different from conventional diesel, a much higher quality product. This novelty was supposed to penetrate the Afghan market. Unfortunately, the first batch was sent back. But this is an ongoing process, and entering every market will not be easy. I am sure that not only the government of Afghanistan… there are many people who do not want us to enter this market… Because the Afghan market is a good market,” he said.

As proof that this is a good product, he announced the sale of 1,000 tons of this fuel to Estonia last month. According to him, an order for another 10,000 tons was received from this country.

“Besides, there are intergovernmental agreements. Our president is visiting [other countries], and meeting people... We are looking for ways to deliver our products to Europe through the "Middle Corridor", that is, the "Caspian Corridor". When we delivered to Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Georgians told us that this was an excellent product, they asked for 33,000 tons, they said “here is the contract, here is the money,” says the head of Uzbekneftegaz.

Last year, the company exported 12,000 tons of this product to Tajikistan, and now it is shipping another 5,000 tons.

“No one should doubt the quality of this product. The product was not returned [by Afghanistan] due to poor quality. I guarantee it. This is an excellent product that complies with Euro 6 standards. I ask you not to believe the news circulated in the media. We are even exporting to European countries,” Sidiqov said.

In early August, the National Standards Agency of Afghanistan (ANSA) explained the decision to return 67 fuel tanks back to Uzbekistan due to their poor quality. Uzbekneftegaz said that the plant for the Uzbekistan GTL plant on June 24-26 supplied, at the request of a buyer from Turkey, about 3,400 tons of products on 67 wagons for export from the Kengsoy station in the Guzar district of Kashkadarya province. The company pointed out that Afghanistan does not have this standard, and the buyer himself shall decide which country to import the goods and how to sell it.

Uzbekistan GTL plant was launched with the participation of the President of Uzbekistan at the end of 2021. Its is estimated at US$ 3.42 billion. It was planned to annually produce import-substituting products of oil products and hydrocarbons worth more than $1 billion, but the plant did not reach these figures.

A year and a half later, in May 2023, the government of Uzbekistan and Air Products signed an investment agreement for $1 billion on the development of a production complex for the processing of industrial gases as part of the Uzbekistan GTL plant. Under the agreement, the investor will own and operate two air separation units, two autothermal reformers and a hydrogen production unit under the GTL complex, and will supply oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and syngas on a long-term basis under a take-or-pay/fixed contract. payment" with "Uzbekneftegaz". Uzbekneftegaz will supply raw materials, natural gas and utilities, as well as sell all products.