DUSHANBE, May 18, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan Aluminum Company or Talco (formerly Tajik Aluminum Plant or TadAZ) is continuing to seek ways to shift to local coal to produce electrolytic cells.
Press release issued by Talco says that the company is currently considering a project for using coalfield Nazarayloq in Rasht Valley (eastern Tajikistan) to provide itself with thermoanthracite and coal-in-graphite products.
“Chinese-Tajik-Kazakh joint company Kitaka, dealing with development and processing of the Nazarayloq coalfield, recently conducted negotiations with Talco to discuss the possibility of delivery of anthracite to Talco,” press release said, noting that Talco is ready to invest in modernization of the coalfield infrastructure and increase in the volume of production of coal.
Until recently, Talco was purchasing thermoanthracite for its needs from CIS states and China, while according expert estimates, local anthracite surpasses the foreign ones in quality.
“In 2002, Tajik aluminum plant produced a test consignment of hearth mass from the Nazarayloq anthracite that was used for major repairs to electrolytic cells, which are sill working in normal technological regime,” press release said.
According to the company’s press release, Talco is also considering the possibility of investing in production of cathode blocks with use of raw materials from the Nazarayloq deposit. At present company is purchasing raw materials for producing cathode blocks, which are an important element in production of aluminum, from Russia, Ukraine and China, press release said.
Talco has launched feasibility study for production of coal-in-graphite output in Tajikistan on the basis of anthracite from the Nazarayloq coalfield, according to the Talco press release.
