New Uzbekistan cement plant on track for year-end commissioning

A new 0.45Mta cement plant being constructed by Russian investors in Uzbekistan is on track for commissioning by the end of this year.

Russian company OOO IP Surhan Cementinvest is building the factory in the Kurkugan district of Surkhandarya oblast. The plant will have access to rail and a 10MW substation of 110/10kV.

According to AzerNews, around 60 per cent of the plant’s output will be exported, with Afghanistan cited as a main destination.

Uzbekistan currently has seven cement plants, mostly situated in the east of the country with a total cement capacity of 7.94Mta. With the prospects for Uzbek cement demand looking good due to a growing population and government programmes focussing on road construction and rural housing, many of the country’s cement plants are increasing production capacity in anticipation of future rises in demand. New players are also looking to enter the market. Lafarge has reportedly been carrying out exploration works on a 2Mta cement plant in the central Jizzakh region with construction expected to begin this year.