DUSHANBE, April 22, 2013, Asia-Plus — The Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) of Tajikistan says the Tajikistan-China joint venture, The Tajik-Chinese Mining Company, has increased production of lead and zinc concentrates significantly.
Over the first quarter (January-March), the company has reportedly produced more than 8,500 tons of lead, which was 5,000 tons more than in the same period last year.
Production of zinc concentrated over the same three-month period has totaled 14,247 tons, which was 9.2 tons more than in January-March 2012.
The Tajik-Chinese Mining Company representatives says the company will continue increasing production volumes in the future as well, because they plan to construct a metallurgical plant.
“To build the metallurgical plant, we have to process up to 3 million tons of ore per year,” an official source at the company told Asia-Plus in an interview.
Last year, the company reportedly invested more than 5 million somoni (equivalent to more than 1 million USD) in development of the Zarnisori Shimoli (Northern Zarnisor) deposit.
“This year, we hope to get license for extraction of polymetalic ores of the partial reserve of the Zarnisori Shimoli deposit,” the source added.
The Tajik-Chinese Mining Company was launched in 2007. In December 2007, the company began construction of the ore-dressing plant, Zarnisor, with an annual capacity of one million tons in the Mastchoh district. To-date, China Global New Technology Imp. & Exp. Co., LTD, which is the main shareholder in the company, has reportedly invested 150 million USD in this plant.
Last year, The Tajik-Chinese Company produced more than 23,400 tons of lead powder and more than 37,300 tons of zinc powder for a total amount of 320.9 million somoni.
