# New TRY 6 Billion Investment at STAR Refinery to Boost Diesel Output by 600,000 Tons

> STAR Refinery, operating under SOCAR Turkey, has initiated the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) process for a new Jet Fuel (Kero-Merox) Unit with an investment of approximately TRY 6 billion. Scheduled for commissioning in the first quarter of 2029, the facility is projected to increase the refinery's annual diesel output by roughly 600,000 tons. Supporting the reduction of Turkey’s diesel import dependency and current account deficit, the investment will also enhance production flexibility and energy efficiency.

Published: 2026-11-09T13:22:00+00:00
Language: en
Categories: [News](https://chemexworld.com/en/categories/news.md)

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## Content

Designed to strengthen Turkey's fuel supply security, STAR Refinery signed an EPC contract with a consortium of leading international companies for the installation of the New Jet Fuel (Kero-Merox) Unit. With engineering, procurement, and construction activities set to commence shortly, occupational health and safety will be prioritized across all phases of the project.

### Strategic Shift in Production Flexibility and Energy Efficiency

The New Jet Fuel Unit is set to drive a key operational transformation at the refinery. By shifting the existing KHT Unit—currently utilized for jet fuel production—into diesel production mode, the refinery will unlock an additional 600,000 tons of annual diesel capacity. While jet fuel production moves to the new unit, the existing KHT Unit can be switched back to jet fuel output depending on market demand, enhancing both operational agility and energy efficiency.

![](https://chemexworld.com/storage/uploads/socar.jpg)

### Statement from Kanan Mirzayev

**Kanan Mirzayev, General Manager of Petkim and Head of SOCAR Turkey Refining and Petrochemicals Business Unit**, stated:

> “The New Jet Fuel Unit we are implementing at STAR Refinery is a strategic transformation investment that will increase our refinery's production flexibility and energy efficiency. By transferring our jet fuel production to the new facility, we will create approximately 600,000 tons of additional annual diesel production capacity. We will further expand our flexibility to adjust jet fuel and diesel output according to market conditions.
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> With our investment of approximately TRY 6 billion, we aim to contribute to reducing Turkey’s foreign dependency on diesel and its current account deficit. Together with this investment, SOCAR’s total investments in Turkey will reach USD 20 billion. When STAR Refinery was commissioned at the end of 2018, it was Turkey’s third-largest refinery on a single-facility basis with an annual refining capacity of 10 million tons. Through the efforts we have carried out in recent years, we raised this capacity to 13 million tons annually, making our refinery the largest in Turkey on a facility basis. With this new investment, we will carry this strength even further.”