DUSHANBE, October 13, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Today, Tajikistan ought to consider the possibility of shifting its industrial enterprises to coals that will allow removing the country’s dependence on natural-gas-shipments from Uzbekistan, Tajik known economist, Professor Hojimuhamamd Umarov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, Tajik researchers have already submitted the project on shifting industrial enterprises to coals or manufactured gas for consideration to the government.

“There are technologies for production of gas from coals, which is also known as manufactured or producer gas,” said the expert, “This move will allow Tajikistan removing dependence on gas deliveries from the neighboring countries.”  Such technologies are now widely used in South Africa and Great Britain, China and Germany, he added.  “Even in Uzbekistan, the Angren heating and power station works on the manufactured gas,” Umarov said.

The expert said the Russian Federation had elaborated the best coal gas production technologies.  He believes that if the government pays proper attention to this issue, it will be an important step towards economic development of the country, because “Tajikistan will stop spending huge expenses on purchasing natural gas from other countries.”

“Our country is rich in deposits of high-quality coals that could be used efficiently for a long time,” Professor Umarov said.