Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 28
By Demir Azizov - Trend:
Uzkimyosanoat (Uzbek chemical industry) State Joint Stock Company has announced a tender for the purchase of special equipment for the quarries of the Kungrad soda plant, the company said on Monday.
In particular, the company intends to acquire a hydraulic, crawler excavator, a dump truck with a capacity of 45 tons, a wheel loader and a bulldozer.
Foreign companies and organisations, as well as domestic manufacturers (suppliers), including small businesses with experience in the delivery of appropriate volumes of products purchased on a tender basis, as well as the manufacturers of the products and , or, their authorised suppliers can participate in the auction.
Bids will be accepted until February 24, 2014. The tender results will be summed up by late March.
It was reported that in early 2013, Uzhimprom started implementing a project to expand the capacity of the Kungrad soda plant in north western Uzbekistan twofold up to 200,000 tons of Calcined soda per year.
The project to expand the capacity of a soda plant worth $110 million is being implemented and funded by increasing the production of limestone at the Jamansay quarry and resource base of the Kungard soda plant at the Barsakelmes salt field in Karakalpakstan (an autonomous republic in north western Uzbekistan).
The explored reserves of the Barsakelmes field exceed 130 million tons of table salt and reserves of the Dzhamansay limestone deposit nearly 70 million tons.
In June, 2012, Uzhimprom signed a contract with Chinese CITIC for the design and delivery of 'turnkey' equipment for increasing the capacity of the Kungrad soda plant. The total construction work is being carried out by organisations affiliated to Uzhimprom.
Completion of the project is scheduled for late 2014.
The project is financed with the loan of the Chinese Eximbank in the amount of $77 million, the loan of the Reconstruction and Development Fund in the amount of $14.4 million and equity of Uzhimprom State JSC.
Kungrad soda plant is the only enterprise for the production of soda ash in Central Asia with the capacity of 100,000 tons of soda ash per year. The enterprise was commissioned by Chinese Citic Pacific Ltd. in August of 2008. The total cost of the project amounted to $250 million.
The main consumers of the soda plant's products in the republic are enterprises for production of household chemicals and construction materials, including various kinds of glass.
Currently, the demand of the domestic market is estimated at about 70,000-80,000 tons and the remaining volume of the product will be exported.
Translated by N.H., L.Z.
Edited by S.M.
