Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb.2
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
Uzbekistan increased coal production by 7.5 percent, to 4.397 million metric tons in 2014 compared to 2013, Uzbekugol JSC, which produces some 98 percent of the total volume of solid fuel in the republic, said.
Uzbekugol JSC produced about 3, 989 million metric tons of coal (2.5 percent increase), Shargunkumir JSC - 107, 210 metric tons (4.3 times increase) and Apartak Ltd. - 300, 039 metric tons (1.7 percent increase), according to the company.
Coal production is conducted in three fields, Angren brown coal field, Shargun and Baisun coal fields.
The Angren coal field is the largest in Uzbekistan, with explored coal reserves of 1.9 billion metric tons. The Angren and Apartak sections where production is carried out openly are operating here.
Shargunugol JSC has a license to develop Baysun and Shargun coal fields in Surkhandarya province (south of Uzbekistan) with total explored reserves of 45.8 million metric tons of coal.
The need for solid fuel in Uzbekistan is about four million metric tons per year. The main consumer of coal in the country is Uzbekenergo State JSC, thermal power plants fueled by solid fuel. They account for over 85 percent of total coal consumption in the country.
Uzbekistan intends to direct some 555.2 million for the development of coal industry until 2018 and to double the coal production to eight million metric tons.
