Azerbaijan, Baku, 9 October/ Trend , corr I. Khalilova/ "Azersun Holding plans to double capacity of new salt iodination and refining plant to be built in Masazir," Mehran Mammadov, Business Development and Investment Department of the holding said.
Originally, the plant was expected to manufacture 100 tons of salt a day, but it will be increased to 200 tons a day due to high demand.
"But, at first stage, the plant will have capacity of 100 tons a day," Mammadov said.
The plant is expected to be launched in the third quarter of 2009, he said.
The project costs $12mln. Arab Golf Star is prepared to provide 50% financing of the project, President of Azersun Holding Abdolbari Gozal said earlier.
AIC plans to invest some $2.9mln and remaining part will be paid by the share of Azersun Holding.
Azerbaijani Salt production unity will hold 25% in the capital of the plant.
According to President of Holding, Arab investors intend to repay their investments in 3 to 4 years after the plant becomes operational and withdrawal from the project is possible in 5 years.
The Swiss Evoterm has supplied the necessary equipment for the construction of the plant. The construction will be carried out by the Turkish Inova and it will be completed in a year.
The State Committee for State Property Management of Azerbaijan has allotted some 7 ha of land for the Azerbaijani Salt Production Union closed joint stock company founded by Azersun Holding and Azerbaijani Investment Company (AIC).
The plant and its infrastructure (pumps and others) for the collection of salt from the lake will be located in this territory. The salt will be collected from the section located in Masazir lake, but the salt is also expected to be brought from Turkmenistan for the refining in the future.
The supplies from Turkmenistan may begin at least in a year and half after the construction of the plan, but it will be oriented on the domestic salt for the time being.
At present, nearly 20 enterprises manufacturing salt in Azerbaijan by primitive methods.
The project Problems on Deficit of Iodine and Iodinated Universal Salt implemented with the support of UNICEF showed that the problem of the deficit of iodine is very urgent question.
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