DUSHANBE, February 7, Asia-Plus — A mini cement plant is supposed to have been finished at the Isfara building materials complex in northern Tajikistan by the end of this year, Mahmadjon Okhunov, the head of the building materials department of the Ministry of Energy and Industry (MoEI), said.
According to him, the construction of the mini cement plant began last year with use of funds of local entrepreneurs. The estimated budget for the construction of this plant is $250,000.
“It will be the second mini cement plant in Isfara,” said the MoEI official, “The firs one, having the capacity of producing 70,000 tons of cement per year, was put into operation last month.”
According to Okhunov, Tajikistan’s annual requirements in cement are increasing. “In 2004, the country’s annual requirements in cement were 1 million tons, while last year’s requirements of Tajikistan in cement were 1.2 million tons,” Okhunov said, adding that the country’s annual requirements in cement are supposed to have increased up to 1.6 million tons by 2010. He links this to the construction of facilities of the nationwide significance such as hydropower plants and tunnels in the republic.
We will recall that two large cement plants are supposed to be built in southern in the Khatlon districts of Shahritus and Danghara in the near future.
In the meantime, the Dushanbe cement plant needs major repairs. Modernization will enable the plant to increase its daily production of cement from 1,500 tons to 1,800 tons, according to specialists.
