DUSHANBE, April 4, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan’s largest cement producer, Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant), has stood idle for already eight days because of lack of natural gas, Rajabgul Haqnazarova, the deputy director of the Dushanbe cement plant, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
According to her, although the plant has repaid its gas debt of $800,000 to Tojikgaz (Tajik state natural-gas distributor), gas supplies have not yet resumed. “This may negatively impact pace of construction of many facilities of nation-wide significance such power plants Sangtuda-1 and Sangtuda-2 as well as tunnels Anzob and Shar-Shar, which use our product,” Ms. Haqnazarova said.
The plant suffered an estimated 10 million somonis in economic damage from a weeklong idle, the deputy director said.
As it had been reported earlier, the Dushanbe cement plant has stood idle since March 28, when natural-gas supplies to the plant were cut off. Gas supplies were cut off due to Tojikcement’s debt to Tojikgaz.
In the meantime, the Tojikgaz director general Fathiddin Muhsiddinov told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon that they cannot resume gas supplies to Tojikgaz because Uzbekistan reduced gas supplies to Tajikistan due its debt arrears. He also noted that the largest gas debtor is Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric system) power holding, which currently owes $7 million to the state natural-gas distributor.
Muhsiddinov added that he will go to Tashkent on Friday to negotiate resumption of proper gas supplies to Tajikistan.
According to Tojikgaz, Uzbekistan currently supplies natural gas to Tajikistan at the rate of 20,000 cubic meters per hour. Uzbek natural gas is currently distributed only to the Tajik fertilizers producer Tojikazot (some 13,000 cubic meters) and the aluminum smelter (some 5,000-7,000 cubic meters).
