DUSHANBE, December 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik state natural-gas distributor, Tojiktransgaz, has promised to resume gas supplies to Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant) today afternoon, the source at Tojikcement said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the plant has not received natural gas since November 22, though it has made prepayment of 3.2 million somoni to Tojiktransgaz.

Damage caused to Tojikcement by lack of natural gas has been estimated at more than 3 million somoni, the source added.

We will recall that the Tojikcement deputy director general, Ms. Fazilat Safarova, told Asia-Plus on November 25 that since gas supplies have been cut off, the plant is now forced to use just clinker reserves.

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