Uzbekistan, Tashkent, July 4 / Trend D.Azizov /
China Coal Technology & Engineering Group won the tender for the modernization of producing capacities for mining the coal in Uzbekistan, with a total value of $101.3 million, a representative of Uzbekugol OJSC told Trend on Thursday.
The project provides the modernization of coal mining at Baisun and Shargun and coal deposits in the Surkhandarya province (south of Uzbekistan).
The winner of the competition has to supply two turnkey sets of mechanized coal mining with the annual capacity of 450,000 tons each, as well as the modernization of production transportation.
It is estimated that as a result, coal mining in Uzbekistan in 2018 will increase to 900,000 tons from 19.7 million tons in 2012.
Financing of the project will be carried out with $89.5 million credit from the Korean EximBank, as well as with the Fund of technical re-equipment and modernization of the coal industry and by the funds of Uzbekugol OJSC.
According to the agency's interlocutor, the contract with the Chinese company to be signed before the end of July.
Shargunugol OJSC is the owner of the license to develop Baisun and Shargun deposits with total explored reserves of 45.8 million tons.
State share in Shargunugol OJSC amounts 51 percent, Uzbekugol OJSC owns 41.57 percent of shares and the labor collective owns 7.43 percent.
The explored coal reserves in Uzbekistan amount 2 billion tons, mining is carried out at the Angren brown coal field, as well as at Shargun and Baysun fields.
