DUSHANBE, September 10, 2008, Asia-Plus — Two Chinese companies intend to participate in construction of a large cement plant in Tajikistan. The plant is expected to have the rated capacity of up to 1 million tons of cement per year.
According to Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), a protocol of intention on construction of the cement plant was signed in Urumqi, China last week. Tajikistan’s CCI head Sharif Said and top managers of China’s companies San Bao (Kann Hepin) and Xinjiang International Resource Company (Hua Jianjun) inked the document.
The plant, construction of which will be funded by the Chinese side, is scheduled to be finished in 30 months. The place for construction of the plant will be determined by the Tajik government and the ministry of energy and industries (MoEI). Chinese specialists are expected to arrive in Tajikistan this month to study and coordinate the project.
An agreement on construction of the cement plant was reached on sidelines of the 17th Urumqi Foreign Economic and Trade Fair that was held on September 1-5.
In the meantime, the source at a MoEI said that Tajikistan’s requirements in cement are increasing by 40 percent every year. Tajikistan now needs 1.5 million tons of cement per year, while Tajikistan’s largest cement producer, Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant), currently produces up to 500,000 tons of cement per year. The rated capacity of the plant is 1 million ton per year but because of obsolete equipment it is now capable to produce not more than 500,000 tons of cement per year. To meet its requirements in cement, Tajikistan has to import it from other countries.
