DUSHANBE, May 29, Asia-Plus — Four foreign private companies have confirmed their intention to participate in implementation of a complex project for development coal fields as well as rehabilitation and construction of thermal electric power stations in Tajikistan.
This was remarked at a conference that was held in the building of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) in Dushanbe on May 29.
The conference that brought together representatives of industrial companies and banks from Tajikistan, Russia, the United States, Kazakhstan and China, as well as international financial institutions and representatives from diplomatic missions accredited in Tajikistan, discussed ways to attract investments in Tajikistan’s coal industry.
Under a declaration adopted at the conference, the US AES Corporation, Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES), Kazakhstan’s KiTaKa and China’s National Company for Export/Import of Mechanical Engineering Goods confirmed their intention to participate in implementation of a complex project for development coal fields as well as rehabilitation and construction of thermal electric power stations working on coal in Tajikistan.
The declaration will be officially signed today evening. This complex plan is supposed to be implemented through partnership between Tajik government and private investors.
Deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Ghulomov said in an interview with Asia-Plus that the project provides for construction of the thermal electric power station at the Fon-Yaghnob coalfield in northern Tajikistan and rehabilitation of the Dushanbe and Yovon cogeneration plants. Ghulomov said that the Fon-Yaghnob thermal electricity project cost is some $180 million.
According to the declaration, some 70 percent of electric power generated by these thermal power stations will be exported, while the remaining 30 percent will be used to meet Tajikistan’s requirements in electrical power in the autumn-winter period. A total capacity of these plants is supposed to be from 1,300 to 1,500 megawatt.
In the meantime, international financial institutions, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Islamic Development (IDB) and the World Bank (WB), were also interested in this project.
China Development Bank, Eurasian Development Bank, Kazakhstan Development Bank and Tajikistan Development Bank are also considering the possibility of participation in this project.
Tajikistan’s energy production is based on renewable sources (hydropower) and fossil fuel sources (coal fired power plants). Total installed capacity of power plants in Tajikistan is 4,436 MW); hydropower plants account for 94 percent (4,090 MW).
Tajikistan have more than 40 coal deposits containing up to 4 billion tons of coal. According to specialists, Tajikistan is believed to have up to 2 billion tons of coal reserves in the Fon-Yaghnob mine alone. The Fon-Yaghnob mine also accounts for 70 percent of a total reserve of coke of Tajikistan. – 465 million tons. The present production of coal meets not more than 10%-15% of the country. Geologists are currently studying coal deposits in the Hissor range in western Tajikistan.
