President Emomali Rahmon today began his working visit to the northern province of Sughd, according to Tajik president’s official website.
Ayni district has been the first leg of Rahmon’s working trip to northern Tajikistan.
While in Ayni district, Emomali Rahmon attended an official opening ceremony of the ore-processing enterprise built by Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) TALCO Gold, which is jointly owned by Tajik Aluminum Company (TALCO) and China’s Tibet Huayu Mining Co.
A total cost of the project is 136 million U.S. dollars and the plant that will produce gold and antimony concentrates has created 1,500 new jobs.
TALCO Gold is developing the Konchoch group of deposits, which includes Chulboi deposit (gold and silver), Konchoch deposit (gold, silver, mercury, fluorite), and Shahkon (gold, antimony, fluorite and arsenium).
The joint venture plans to produce 2.2 tons of gold and 21,000 tons of antimony per year.
The Konchoch group of deposits reportedly has possible gold reserves of 50 tons and possible silver reserves of more than 59 tons. It reportedly also has possible mercury reserves of 1,197 tons and possible fluorite reserves of more than 76,000 tons (fluorite is used for production of aluminum).