Kungrad Soda Plant produces 92,000 tonnes of soda ash in 2012
Kungrad Soda Plant, only soda ash producer in Central Asian region, produced over 92,000 tonnes of soda ash in January-December 2012, Director of Kungrad Soda Plant Rashid Yakubov.
In interview to UzA agency, he said that in 2006 the company produced 12,810 tonnes of soda ash, and in 2011 the figure increased sevenfold. In 2012 the plant manufactured more than 92,000 tonnes of import-substituting high quality soda ash.
He said that products of the company comply with international requirements, and are exported to Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, highly appreciated by foreign customers. In particular, in 2008 “Leaders of the twenty-first century” program awarded us with the International “Golden Jaguar” prize.
Products of the Kungrad Soda Plant, the only one of its kind in Central Asia, is on high demand in textile industry, production of detergents, glass, paper and pulp, nonferrous metallurgy and other industries.
Kungrad Soda Plant is only enterprise on production of soda ash in Central Asia. The enterprise was commissioned in August 2006 by China’s Citic Pacific Ltd. and Uzkimyosanoat. Total project cost was US$100 million.
In line with contract, Citic Pacific Ltd. designed and constructed technical part of the plant on “on turnkey” basis with the cost of US$32.3 million. China Industrial-Commercial Bank financed technological part of the project under insurance coverage of China Export-Credit Insurance Corporation (90% of the contract) and loan of Uzpromstroytbank (10% of contract) under the guarantee of the Uzbekistan Government. General construction works were executed by local insurance companies due to own resources of Uzkimyosanoat. The project capacity of the enterprise is 100,000 tonnes of ash soda a year. The main raw material for construction of soda ash is sodium chloride (salt) and limestone.
All main raw materials for production are produced in Uzbekistan. The sodium chloride is mined at Barsakelmes deposit, located 53km away from Kungrad Soda Plant and limestone at Jamansay limestone deposit, developed at 250 km away from the plant. According to geologists, the approved reserves of these raw materials can satisfy demand of the plant for over 100 years.
At necessity, these reserves can be expanded. Another component of production is ammonia, which is supplied by enterprises of Uzkimyosanoat – Maxam-Chirchiq (Chirchiq city) and Navoiazot (Navoi city). For last three years, Kungrad Soda Plant increased exports by five times.
Currently, the company is working on increasing its capacity by 100,000 tonnes.
