FORWARD-LOOKING LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS IN THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION

The Acting President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the republic’s Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Navoi and Bukhara Regions on 24 September 2016 with the aim of familiarization with the pace of socio-economic reforms in localities and large-scale work being carried out in the industrial and agricultural sectors as well as the social sphere.

During the visit to Navoi Region, Shavkat Mirziyoyev acquainted himself with big projects being implemented at the Navoiazot joint-stock company in accordance with a resolution of the First President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov.

Specifically, Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the construction site of a complex for the production of polyvinyl chloride, caustic soda and methanol.

When this site is put into operation, 100 thousand tonnes of polyvinyl chloride and 295 thousand tonnes of methanol will be produced through the deep processing of local raw materials, and the production of caustic soda will be increased by 71.8 thousand tonnes.

The pace of implementation of a big investment project for the construction of a facility at this enterprise for the production of ammonia and carbamide was also looked at. The production facilities being created here are for the yearly production of 660 thousand tonnes of ammonia and 577.5 thousand tonnes of carbamide.

Right there, Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited another important site where the production of 500 thousand tonnes of nitric acid a year is being arranged with the introduction of modern energy-saving technologies.

After the launch of the new site, morally obsolete equipment which was installed there more than 50 years ago will be dismantled.

The implementation of these projects which are of significance to the chemical branch of industry and to the entire economy of Uzbekistan is being carried out on the basis of the most modern equipment and advanced technologies from Japan, Switzerland, China and other countries.

More than 1,300 jobs will be created at the new enterprises. The education of personnel who will be operating the most modern technologies and equipment is already being carried out at higher educational establishments and vocational colleges of the republic. It is envisaged that these young specialists will be provided with practical training at similar enterprises abroad and then will be taking part in launch and adjustment work and will be working there in future.

The Acting President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev familiarized himself with improvement and landscaping work being carried out in Navoi Region. There was discussion about a Navoi draft town planning scheme, and the task of building affordable housing for low-income families was set.

During the tour of the region, Shavkat Mirziyoyev familiarized himself with the pace of agricultural work, looked at cotton fields and held conversations with farmers of Karmana District.

At a meeting with officials of Navoi Region, the issues of raising the region’s export potential, effectively harvesting cotton and sowing winter cereals, the storage of agricultural produce, improving the work of utility services and private housing owners’ associations were examined.

On the same day, Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the construction site of the complex of the Kandim gas processing plant in Bukhara Region. This big investment project of 2.6 billion dollars, being implemented jointly with the Russian company Lukoil and with the attraction of South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering and Singapore’s ENTER Engineering, is proof of the practical implementation of a programme of measures adopted by the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to ensure structural reforms, industrial modernization and diversification for 2015-2019.

Particularly, the implementation of this project will make it possible through creating a new hi-tech production facility and modern infrastructure to extract and process 8.1 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year and to obtain marketable gas for which there is demand.

Just about five moths ago, that is on 18 April this year, the official ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the construction of the Kandim plant took place. Colossal preparatory and building work was carried out there over this period of time, in particular, preparatory and construction work on external infrastructure. Construction and structural assembly work is being conducted actively, and orders have been placed for equipment the making of which takes a long time.

The commissioning of the first unit of the plant is set for the year 2018, and soon afterwards it will reach its full production capacity.

At the construction site, the Acting President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met the president of the Lukoil company, Vagit Alekperov.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the active work of Lukoil on the implementation of joint investment projects in the oil and gas sector of Uzbekistan, and also expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction of the Kandim gas processing plant being carried out on the basis of the most advanced world technologies.

Vagit Alekperov gave assurances that the Lukoil company would certainly ensure the complete and timely implementation of all the obligations taken on as part of investment projects being carried out in the oil and gas sector of Uzbekistan.

Today Lukoil is conducting a great deal of work on the development of promising gas fields Hauzak, Shadi, Kungrad and Kandim and oil and gas areas of south-west Gisar and the Ustyurt region. As part of joint prospecting work, promising hydrocarbon deposits were opened in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea area. The company’s investments in the implementation of energy projects in Uzbekistan have exceeded 5.5 billion dollars.

During the meeting, there was discussion about promising areas of the further expansion of long-term mutually advantageous cooperation with the Lukoil company.

UzA