DUSHANBE, February 20, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan is taking efforts to increase cement productions.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI), Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Huaxin Gayur Cement, is building a cement plant with an annual capacity of one million tons in the Yovon district, Khatlon province.

560 builders, with 160 of them being Tajik nationals, are working at the site.

An estimated budget for implementation of this project is 110 million U.S. dollars and they have drawn 85 million U.S. dollars so far.

The plant will work on coal.  They reportedly use the latest technologies to build the plant and it will meet regional environmental requirements.

Meanwhile, construction of a cement plant with capacity of 50,000 tons is nearing completion at Vahdat Township.  Tajik-Chinese joint venture, Vahdat Hualun, is constructing the plant and it is expected to be introduced into operation during the first quarter of this year.

Besides, a cement plant with capacity of 20,000 tons will be introduced into operation in the northern city of Konibodom in the first half-year of 2013 and construction of two cement plants in Danghara and Shahritous districts is nearing completion.  Construction of the cement plants in Danghara and Shahritous is funded by foreign investors.

We will recall that a cement plant with capacity of 100,000 tons was introduced into operation in the Mastchoh district, Sughd province last year.  They plan to raise its annual capacity to 1 million tons.

According to the statistical data from a MoEI, eight cement plants with a total capacity of 1.5 million tons now operate in Tajikistan.  Tajikistan’s largest cement plant is OJSC Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant) with rated capacity of 1.1 million tons.  This plant has not been in operation since January 1, 2013 due to lack of natural gas.

Tajikistan’s annual requirements in cement have sharply increased in connection with construction of the Roghun hydroelectric power plant (HPP), highways and other facilities of the nationwide significance.

Currently Pakistan is the main supplier of cement to Tajikistan.