Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 16
By Ali Mustafayev – Trend
The Uzbek coal company JSC “Shargunkumir” has disclosed numbers of coal production during the period of joint modernization with the Chinese consortium of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Corp. and China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd., a senior official at the company said.
The currently operating mines are expected to raise the level of coal production from 150,000 tons to 200,000 tons by the end of 2017, director for Future Development, Investment and Capital Construction of JSC “Shargunkumir” Sattor Saidov told Trend.
“The plans of our Chinese colleagues regarding the further modernization process also include the coal production amounting to 700,000 tons by the end of 2019,” said Saidov.
The total production volume of “Shargunkumir” by the end of 2020 is expected to reach 900.000 tons of coal per year.
Saidov also announced that the modernization of the company within the cooperation with China will have its influence on total coal export of Uzbekistan.
The expansion of country’s export will respond to economic demand among a number of countries. In particular, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan already look to purchase coal from Uzbekistan as soon as the refinery process of the mines are completed.
Previously, consortium of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Corp. and China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd. has launched the project to modernize capacities of Uzbekistan’s Shargunkumir JSC.
The project worth $94.5 million is expected to be implemented in the first quarter of 2020, according to the company official. The project will be financed through an $89.8-million loan of Export-Import Bank of China and own funds of the coal producer.