More than 33.000 tons of coal were produced in Tajikistan in the past four months this year. At least 22.000 tons were produced in the country in the same period last year, Head of the Tajik Energy and Industry Ministry’s Department of Coal Industry and Alternative Energy Sources Bahriddin Abdurahimov told AP.

In April-January this year coal was mainly produced by Angisht Ltd, Fon-Jagnob Co and Anzob joint company.

Abdurahimov said that there is a definite growth in coal production in Tajikistan in the past few years. “Coal production in the country decreased after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1990 the country produced over 467.000 tons of coal. In 1998 and 1999 coal production made 16.600 tons,” he said adding that this is the lowest index for a period from 1990 to 2011. “Rapid growth in coal production in the country began in 2003 when the Government decided to attract governmental and private investments to this sphere.”

He said that effective use of governmental centralized funds and investments allowed enterprises to increase their production capacities.

Thus, a total of 236.800 tons of coal were produced in the country in 2011 making an 11.5-fold increase as compared to 2001.

Last year the country produced 36.800 tons more as compared to the plan. This is 118.1% more as compared to 2010. Total cost of coal produced in 2011 exceeds 25mln Somoni or 123.9% more as compared to 2010.

He said that in the past few years industrial enterprises, including (80) brick producing factories, (28) smelting factories, (1) glass manufacturing factory, (21) food manufacturing enterprises and (6) cement producing factories, turned from the use of natural gas and electricity to a more economically profitable coal fuel.

Abdurahimov said the country has a large variety of natural resources and reserves of coal of different quality: from Shurob’s brown coal to unique Nazar-Aylock’s ultrapure anthracitic coal.

More than 36 coalfields have been revealed and partially explored in Tajikistan. Currently, a total of 14 coal producing enterprises, of which 8 are private companies, are operating in Tajikistan. These companies carry out coal mining activities on 10 coalfields.

According to geological data, there are nearly 36 coalfields in Tajikistan with various types of coal – starting from brown and black coal up to anthracite and coking coal.

Total coal reserves are estimated at 3.6bln tons of which 714mln tons refer to confirmed reserves.

Talking about recent Tajikistan’s ban on coal export Abdurahimov said that the decision is connected with the fact that industrial enterprises are gradually switching to coal. Another factor is that the population is also using this type of fuel.

“First of all, Tajikistan must provide its internal market with coal,” he stressed adding that in 2011 Tajikistan exported over 22.000 tons of coal.

On April 20 this year in his Annual Message to the Parliament Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon ordered to switch all industrial enterprises to coal or another alternative energy sources till the end of this year.