• What is the biggest oil refinery in Kyrgyzstan?
  • Kyrgyzstan has five oil refineries, but Junda is by far the largest and processes around 800,000 tons of oil annually. The second largest such plant, the Tokmok oil refinery, also owned by a Chinese company, is able to manage only 450,000 tons. Junda is no stranger to scandal.
  • Who owns Kyrgyzstan’s oil refinery?
  • Of those, 500 were indeed Kyrgyz nationals, while the rest came from China. The company that owns the refinery ¨C full name: China Petrol Company Junda Limited ¨C has invested around $300 million into the plant. Kyrgyzstan has five oil refineries, but Junda is by far the largest and processes around 800,000 tons of oil annually.
  • Why is the Kyrgyz refinery failing?
  • Some see the refinery’s problems as being linked to competition for the energy market between China and Russia. Russian energy giant Gazprom traditionally dominates the fuel market in Kyrgyzstan, while several prominent Kyrgyz politicians have businesses importing fuel from there.
  • How many people work at Kyrgyz refinery?
  • In actual fact, when operating, the plant employed around 775 people. Of those, 500 were indeed Kyrgyz nationals, while the rest came from China. The company that owns the refinery ¨C full name: China Petrol Company Junda Limited ¨C has invested around $300 million into the plant.
  • Is the Zhongda oil refinery a paragon of opacity?
  • An oil refinery at night. Photo by Gregg Tavares. CC BY 2.0 (Flickr) The Zhongda oil refinery, one of China¡¯s largest investments in Kyrgyzstan, typifies the jobs versus pollution debate that surrounds Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) vision. The refinery is a paragon of opacity.
  • How does petroleum refining work?
  • The first step in petroleum refining is separating that mix through a distillation process. The raw crude oil is heated up to about 500¡ãC. Lighter components, such as those that make up gasoline, vaporize at lower temperatures and are captured. Heavier components, such as home heating oil, vaporize at higher temperatures.