DUSHANBE, December 20, Asia-Plus – On Wednesday December 20, Norway’s Hydro Aluminum and Tajikistan’s Aluminum Plant (TadAZ) signed a cooperation agreement in Dushanbe, Hydro Aluminium Senior Vice-President Simon Storesund remarked at briefing in Dushanbe today.
He stressed that the signed agreement had put an end to disputes on London Arbitration Court’s ruling on alumina supplies to Tajikistan. “Under the signed agreement TadAZ will annually supply from 120,000 tons to 200,000 tons of primary aluminum to Hydro Aluminum in the coming four years, and Hydro Aluminum will annually supply 150,000 tons of alumina to the Tajik plant,” said Storesund, “Besides, our company will provide technical assistance to TadAZ in raising the production efficiency and expand cooperation with it in solving prudction safety and health and enviromental protection issues”
According to him, Hydro Aluminium and TadAZ now become partners on prouction of aluminum. The Hydro top manager also stressed an importance of full transparency of the whole activty, calling it one of key factors for support of the World Bank and the Euroepan Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Storesund also noted that two days ago, Hydro and Statoil announced a merger plan which would create the world”s largest off shore oil and gas operator. “Hydro Aluminium becomes pure aluminum and and hydropower company and this provides new opportunities for exapnding cooperation with Tajikistan in the aluminum production and hydropower,” Storsund said.
On the opportunities of cooperation with Tajikistan in the filed of hydropower, the Hydro SVP noted that Tajikistan has a number of potential ambitious projects. “Within the next few months, we will conduct initial surveys to determine the potential of cooperation in this sector that will help to connect our company and companies of Tajikistan,” Storesund said, noting that it is their long-term strategy.
According to him, Norwegian specialists have familiarized themselves with the Roghun project. “Cooperation in the hydropower sector will enable us to build a new aluminum smelter here,” said he, “But at the initial stage we remain orders for TadAZ output.”
Cevdet Denizer, Country Manager of the World Bank in Tajikistan, told journalists that the World Bank can support TadAZ.. “Today’s agreement will allow providing financing of Roghun, Sangtuda and other important projects,” Denizer said.
Speaking to journalists, TadAZ director general Sadriddin Sharipov said that with signing today’s agreement Hydro Aluminum becomes one of main strategic partners of TadAZ.
Hydro Aluminium is the third largest integrated aluminum company world wide. In Norway, Hydro has plants in Rjukan, Porsgrunn, Vennesla, Kamoy, Hoyanger, Ardal, Sunndalsora, Holmestrand, Magnor and Ruufoss. The corporation also has plants abroad.
