DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, February 14. Tajikistan plans to fully launch its oil refinery in the Dangara Free Economic Zone in 2025, said the country’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Zavqi Zavqizoda, during a press conference, Trend reports.
He stated that the refinery began test operations in late 2024. A total of 1,622 tons of semi-refined crude oil was delivered to the refinery last year, from which 800 tons of gasoline were produced.
The refinery was built by the Chinese company Dong Ying Heli Investment and Developmentwith a $100 million investment. It has a capacity of 1.2 million tons of oil per year. Since 2018, it has not been operational due to a shortage of raw materials.
Earlier, it was reported that agreements were reached with the Russian Tatneft company and Azerbaijan’s SOCAR to supply the refinery with raw materials.
The Ministry of Economic Development also disclosed that in 2024, 740 new production facilities and workshops were opened in the country, including 528 new industrial enterprises, creating about 20,000 new jobs. As a result, industrial production reached 53.8 billion somoni (around $4.9 billion), with a growth rate of 20 percent.
The industrial sector saw significant growth, driven by a 43 percent increase in mining, a 7.6 percent rise in manufacturing, and a 5.7 percent increase in energy supply, including electricity, gas, steam, and air purification. The water supply, waste collection, treatment, and recycling sector grew by 34.9 percent.
In terms of energy production, Tajikistan generated 22.4 billion kWh of electricity in 2024, an increase of 567.2 million kWh, or 2.6 percent, compared to 2023.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, Tajikistan’s oil production for the year totaled 16,100 tons, and natural gas production reached 362,000 cubic meters.