BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 22
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Coal production in Uzbekistan increased by 30.8 percent in March 2020, compared to March 2019 and amounted to 353,000 tons, Trend reports citing the Uzbek State Statistics Committee.
In total, following the results of the first quarter of 2020, coal production in Uzbekistan increased by 29.6 percent, compared to the same period of 2019, and amounted to one million tons.
Coal mining in Uzbekistan is carried out by JSC Uzbekugol and JSC Shargunugol. Prior to November 2017, JSC Uzbekenergo owned controlling stakes in these enterprises. After that, due to inefficient management, the coal companies were transferred to JSC Uzbekistan Railways.
In late 2017, China Railway Tunnel Group launched an investment project worth $105.5 million to modernize JSC Shargunugol, which will increase coal production from 150,000 tons to 900,000 tons. The company intended to reach full capacity in the first quarter of 2020.
Proven reserves of coal in Uzbekistan amount to about 1.9 billion tons, of which almost the entire volume belongs to lignite - 1.85 billion tons. Projected coal reserves are estimated at 4.7 billion tons.
Coal mining in Uzbekistan has decreased following the results of 2019 in comparison with volumes of mining in 2018, by three percent and has made 4,05 million tons, coal import - has grown in terms of volume by 21,8 percent to 706,800 tons, in terms of value - by 25,5 percent to $20.3 million.
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