Dushanbe, November 25, 2009, Asia-Plus -- The State Unitary Enterprise Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant) has not received natural gas for already several days, Ms. Fazilat Safarova, the deputy director general of Tojikcement, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“Since gas supplies have been cut off, the plant is now forced to use just clinker reserves,” noted she.  “But, this cannot go on for ever.”

Clinker is the solid material produced by the cement kin stage that has sintered into lumps or nodules, typically of diameter 3-25 mm and it is used in the manufacture of Portland cement.  Clinker, if stored in dry conditions, can be kept for several months without appreciable loss of quality.

According to Ms. Safarova, the plant has made a prepayment of 3.2 million somoni to Tojiktransgaz (Tajik national natural-gas distributor), however, the plant has not yet receive natural gas for that amount.

“Electricity the plant purchases for its needs is practically wasted,” said Safarova, “If there is no natural gas, we will not be able to provide our large facilities under construction, including the Roghun HPP, with cement.”