DUSHANBE (Asia-Plus) — Tajik coal-mining enterprises produced more than 1.7 million tons of coal last year, which is more than 300,000 tons more than in 2016, according to the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies (MoINT).

Over the report period, Fon-Yagnob, TALCO-Resource LTD, Industrial Enterprise Ziddi and Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Angisht produced totaling 1.5 mln tons of coal and the remaining 200,000 tons were produced by twelve other coal-mining enterprises, the source added. This is the largest amount of coal ever produced in Tajikistan.

Exploration and development of coal fields has been intensified in Tajikistan since 2012 when Uzbekistan stopped gas shipments to Tajikistan. Since 2007, more than more than 160 industrial enterprises in Tajikistan have been shifted to coal and 230 coal-fired enterprises now operate in the country.

In 2014, coal production amounted to 870,000 tons and in 2015, 1 mln tons. In 2016, the volume of coal production in Tajikistan increased by another 40% reaching nearly 1.4 mln tons.

The Coal Mining in the EDB Countries
Survey released by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) on September 7, 2017, says, “For Tajikistan, the coal being produced in the country is an energy raw material and it will be hard to replace it by alternative energies in the foreseeable future.”

The survey, in particular, notes that during the period from 2012 to 2016, average annual growth rates were approximately 44%. “Over the first six months of this year, average annual growth rates have been estimated at 20.6% (up to 541,000 tons). In the medium term, the government intends to essentially increase production capacity of coal mining in order to meet internal requirements in cola and provide export of coal”, EDB experts stressed.

They believe the coal mining in Tajikistan has vast prospects for further development. According to EDB experts, Tajikistan’s possible coal reserves are estimated at least 4.3 bln tons.