New 1Mta Tajikistan plant to be commissioned in 2H13

A new 1Mta cement plant is expected to be commissioned in the second half of this year in southern Tajikistan.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI) Secretariat, Tajikistan-China joint venture, Huaxin Gayur Cement Co, Ltd, is constructing this plant with capacity of in the Yovon district. Plant construction began on 15 September 2011 and is now nearing completion, according to reports by Asia Plus.

Currently there are five cement plants operational in Tajikistan with a combined cement capacity of 1.3Mta. The largest producer is the 1.1Mta state plant of Tajikcement at Dushanbe, which has four 600tpa kilns and two 300tpa lines. However, according to local press reports this plant has not been operational since the start of this year due to a lack of natural gas supplies.

Actual production, which in 2012 was expected to have reached 0.25Mt, falls well short of current demand levels of 0.82Mt. Imports continue to play an important role in meeting the shortfall. However, the Tajik government has attracted foreign investment to expand its cement production base, and eight new projects are now in the pipeline.