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Uzbekistan to begin reconstruction of Shargunkumir

Business Materials 16 March 2012 21:12 (UTC +04:00)

Uzbekistan, Tashkent, March 16 / Trend D.Azizov /

State Joint-Stock Company Uzbekenergo in the first half of 2012 will begin implementation of a project worth $109 million for reconstruction and modernization of the coal mining company Shargunkumir (Sharguncoal), carrying out the development of coal deposits in southern Uzbekistan, management of Shargunkumir told Trend on Friday.

According to the source, the Government approved the feasibility study of the project, envisaging increase in capacity of the enterprise from 65,000 tons of coal in 2011 to 900,000 tons in 2016.

According to Uzbekenergo, under the project it's envisaged to introduce technology of the mining work in stope coal-face of steeply inclined stratum with the use of mechanized systems. Suppliers of mining equipment fleet, namely combines, loaders, cranes, crushing machines and conveyors will be Russian West-Ural Machine Building Concern, Gormash, Anzheromash, Krasnogvardejsk crane factory.

The project will be financed by a loan from China Exim Bank worth $50 million, loan from Uzbek Fund for Reconstruction and Development, as well as own funds of Uzbekenergo.

It's planned before the end of 2012 to implement the first phase of modernization worth $15 million, providing for the increase in coal production at the enterprise by 1.6 times - up to 160,000 tons. Funding for the first phase of modernization is due to the credit of the Uzbek Fund for Reconstruction and Development and funds of Uzbekenergo.

Shargunkumir owns the license to develop Baisun and Shargun coal deposits in the Surkhandarya region in the south of Uzbekistan with total explored reserves of 45.8 million tons of coal, develops these deposits by underground mining with partial processing of mined coal in the coal briquettes at Shargun briquette factory and Boysun briquette plant.

Shargun coal deposit was discovered in 1941, the Shargun mine with a capacity of 400,000 tons of coal per annum was commissioned in 1958.

As previously reported, in February Uzbekkumir, structural unit of Uzbekenergo, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the total production in the industry, bought the stake of Shargunkumir at 41.57 per cent, previously owned by a consortium of British companies members of SAB Energy, Shadela Inc. and M.Metal & Co. Currently, the share of Uzbekkumir in Shargunkumir's authorized capital taking into account previously acquired shares is 67.57 percent.

Uzbekistan has proven coal reserves amounting to 1.9 billion tons, including the brown coal of 1.853 million tons, coal - 47 million tons. Forecasted resources amount to over 5.7 billion tons of coal.

Currently, coal mining is conducted at three deposits: Angren brown coal, Shargun and Baisun deposits of coal. Uzbekkumir, Apartak, Shargunkumir and Erostigaz are all engaged in coal mining in the country.

In 2011 coal production in Uzbekistan increased by 5.9 percent - up to 3.551 million tons, including the share of Uzbekkumir at 3.55 million tons, Apartak - 275,000 tons, Shargunkumir - 18,000 tons.

According to experts, the need for solid fuel in Uzbekistan is about four million tons annually. The main consumer of coal in the country is enterprises of Uzbekenergo, which consume annually about three million tons of solid fuel.

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