DUSHANBE, April 7, Asia-Plus  -- After being closed for 10 days because of lack of natural gas, resumed its operation Saturday evening, Asia-Plus has learned at the Dushanbe cement plant.

However, the plant currently operates only in partial capacity as it now receives natural-gas supplies at the rate of 5,000 cubic meters per hour.  “This has allowed us re-launching only one oven,” the source said.   

The Dushanbe cement plant has stood idle since March 28, when natural-gas supplies to the plant were cut off.  Gas supplies were cut off due to Tojikcement’s debt to Tojikgaz (Tajik state natural-gas distributor).  Gas supplies resumed after Tojikcement had repaid its debt of $800,000.  

The Tojikgaz officials say they cannot resume gas supplies to the cement plant in full capacity because Uzbekistan reduced gas supplies to Tajikistan due its debt arrears.  

The Tojikgaz director general Fathiddin Muhsiddinov last week was in Tashkent to negotiate resumption of proper gas supplies to Tajikistan. 

According to Tojikgaz, Uzbekistan currently supplies natural gas to Tajikistan at the rate of 20,000 cubic meters per hour.  Uzbek natural gas is currently distributed only to the Tajik fertilizers producer Tojikazot (some 13,000 cubic meters) and the aluminum smelter (some 5,000-7,000 cubic meters).