Uzbekistan intends to increase coal production by 2.5 times by 2019

Tashkent. June 12. KazTAG - An exclusive manufacturer of solid fuel in Uzbekistan JSC "Uzbekugol" intends to increase coal production in 2018 to 11 million tons against 4.3 million tons in 2014, reported KazTAG.
"The planned increase in coal production to 11 million tonnes will provide an increase in its share in the energy mix from 5% to 20%, and will contribute to annual savings of 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas used in thermal power stations of the republic", - stated in the materials published during the international Cooperation Exchange in Tashkent on Thursday.
According to the company, to achieve these indicators "Uzbekugol" intends to carry out in the 2015-2018 program of modernization of the sector costing of $560 million. In particular, for the renewal of obsolete equipment will be allocated $233 million, to increase production of lignite - $106.5 million, mining stone coal - $101 million. Funding of the program will be provided by loans from foreign and Uzbek banks and own funds of "Uzbekugol".
According to experts, the need of Uzbekistan for solid fuel is now more than 4 million tons annually. The main consumer of coal in the country are the enterprises of "Uzbekenergo", which consumes annually about 3.5 million tons of solid fuel. As a result of the transfer of a number of thermal power plants from the natural gas, coal consumption by 2020 will increase to 7 million tons per year.