DUSHANBE, January 6, 2014, Asia-Plus — In 2013, Tajikistan produced 518,000 tons of coal, which is 125 percent of the 2012 level or 106,000 tons more, according to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT)
Coal sales volumes also increased last year as compared with 2012, an official source at a MoINT said. “In 2013, more than 482,000 tons of coal were sold, which is nearly 58,000 tons more than in 2012,” the source noted.
Coal production has increased in Tajikistan due to a shift from more expensive natural gas and electricity to more economical coal for heating and other purposes (for instance, transformation of coal to gas for the Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) operation).
According to the statistical data from the MoINT, more than 150 industrial enterprises have been shifted from natural gas to coal in Tajikistan since 2007.
162 enterprises are now engaged in production of coal in Tajikistan.
