Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 15
By Ali Mustafayev – Trend:
Uzbek coal company Shargunkumir JSC plans to export 300,000 tons of coal per year to foreign countries, Shargunkumir JSC Director for Future Development, Investment and Capital Construction Sattor Saidov told Trend.
The company will start working at its full capacity after the end of the modernization which is currently being implemented jointly with a Chinese consortium of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group Corp. and China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd.
“We have already signed a contract with Afghanistan on coal supplies at a price of $70 per ton, and it is only the beginning. Our further negotiations with other countries will depend on the work of our Chinese partners and the increase in coal production,” said Saidov.
Shargunkumir's 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.
The company intends to increase the output to 700,000 tons per year in 2019 and to 900,000 tons per year in 2020.
Previously, the director of the company, during an interview with Trend, announced that the modernization of the company within the cooperation with China will have its influence on total coal exports of Uzbekistan.
The expansion of Uzbekistan’s coal exports will respond to economic demands among a number of countries. In particular, Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan already eye to purchase coal from Uzbekistan as soon as the refining process at the mines is completed.