Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Sept. 21 / Trend D.Azizov /
Uzbekenergo company started construction of new power supply facilities for Dehkanabad potash fertilizer plant (Kashkadarya region, south of Uzbekistan) worth $67.5 million, the company representative told Trend on Wednesday.
It was reported that two transformer substations with a capacity of 125,000 KW with two high-voltage lines each bearing 220 KV with a length of 74 kilometres and 110 KV with length of 32 kilometres are planned to be built to provide the Dehkanabad potash fertiliser plant with energy at Qashqadaryo Province in southern Uzbekistan.
According to the results of the tender announced by "Uzbekenergo" in May this year, the suppliers of equipment were determined. The contracts were signed.
Chinese Xian Electric (open distribution system) and Shanghai Electric (autotransformers), Russian-Uzbek joint venture "Uzelektroapparat-Electric" (high voltage equipment), the Russian Company "Tehnostroyimpeks" (communication equipment) and British Welberg (substation equipment) will supply the equipment.
Finance will be provided by Uzbekenergo's own funds and a loan worth $37.5 million from the Uzbek Fund for Reconstruction and Development.
The new plant area will increase capacity by three times - up to 600,000 tons of potash per year. About 350,000 tons will be exported.
Uzhimprom has signed contracts with Russian company Western-Ural Machine Building Concern (Perm) and the Chinese CITIC International Cooperation worth $238.6 million.
The Russian firm will construct mining complex to produce 1.4 million tons of selwynite ore and use telpherage to transport 2.1 million tons of ore per year as well as having an external power supply worth $122.3 million.
The Chinese company will construct a processing complex to produce 400,000 tons of potash fertilisers per year worth $116.3 million.
The construction operations are planned to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013.
China's Eximbank will allocate $110.5 million, the Uzbek Fund for Reconstruction and Development - $128.1 million and Uzbekhimprom - $16.1 million to finance the project.
The first production unit of the Dehkanabad Plant on Production of Potash Fertilizers is worth $123.7 million and with capacity of 200,000 tons of potash fertilisers per year was commissioned in September, 2010.
The plant was built on the base of the Tyubegata potassium salts deposit in Kashkadarya region bordering with Turkmenistan. Total industrial reserves hit 400.2 million tons with potassium chloride which is 36.8 per cent. The most promising part of the deposit with reserves of 200 million tons is situated in Uzbekistan.