KHUJAND, June 17, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Leninabad Rare Metals Plant (LRMP) has still stood idle because of serious situation at the world market of titanium alloys, the source at LRMP said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“The world titanium prices remain minimal – $2.6 per one kilogram while its cost price is $7.2 per kilogram,” said the source, “Practically nobody now purchases titanium. For example, major part of the car industry in Russia currently stands idle that, in turns, led to suspension of metallurgical enterprises there.”
“426 people have worked with our enterprise that is currently not in operation and we have to go over to manufacturing other output,” said the source, “If we are granted a license for development of a local quartz deposit, we will be able to provide our workers with jobs again.”
Austria’s Stork Group assumes the 100% ownership interest in the company
Leninabad Rare Metals Plant (LRMP) is located in the settlement of Choruk- Darron, which is 20 kilometers away from Khujand. The plant was established during the year 1942 and was one of the biggest vanadium and molybdenum based master alloys producer during the Soviet period. After the collapse of Soviet Union, it had to undergo certain changes. Currently it is specialized in the production of: Ferrovanadium (FeV), Ferromolybdenum (FeMo), and Ferrotitanium (FeTi). Technical know-how, expertise and production facilities of the plant are intact and can allow producing many special alloys.
Stork Group companies were established at the end of 80’s as trading companies for consumer and industrial products and evolved into minerals, metals and heavy engineering goods trading group. Later on by mid-90’s, it entered into production ventures by acquiring substantial stakes of the following producers: JSC Uralredmet (Russia); JSC Chernyshikhinski Meat Processing Plant (Russia); Volnogorsk Zirconium Refractories Plant (Ukraine); TransInvestService Ltd. (Ukraine); Leninabad Rare Metals Plant (Tajikistan); and Bothli Tradе A. G. (Switzerland).
