DUSHANBE, January 8, 2013, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan imported 81,200 tons of liquefied gas (LNG) last year, which is 28,200 tons more than in 2011, according to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI).
An official source at a MoEI says Tajikistan’s LNG market is currently stable. “7,800 tons of liquefied natural gas was delivered to the country in November and 7,400 tons of LNG was delivered to Tajikistan last month,” the source noted.
Meanwhile, two companies that are among Tajikistan’s top five LNG suppliers – Tojiron and Muhammad Poulod – have considerably reduced LNG supplies in recent months. “Tojiron and Muhammad Poulod did not deliver liquefied natural gas to Tajikistan in November and December for unknown reasons, while the remaining large companies – Faroz, Gazpromneft-Tajikistan and Zet-Gaz are working stably,” the source said.
The price of one liter of liquefied gas in Dushanbe has fallen from 3.80 somoni in November 2012 to 3.50 somoni, with similar price falls in other parts of the country.
We will recall Uzbekistan has banned the road transportation of liquefied natural gas through its territory, a decision the Uzbek authorities say is intended to protect public safety and the environment. The ban reportedly took effect on January 1, 2013.
Representatives of local large companies engaged in delivery of liquefied natural gas to Tajikistan consider that Uzbekistan’s decision to ban the road transportation of LNG through its territory will not affect Tajikistan’s fuel market because they deliver liquefied natural gas to Tajikistan by rail cars.
Some 40 percent of vehicles in Tajikistan, primarily in the northern Sughd province, reportedly run on liquefied natural gas. Kazakhstan now provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s liquefied natural gas imports.
Over the last year, the number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) refueling stations in the country was reportedly increased from 510 to 526. Sughd province alone now has 230 LNG refueling stations.
