He said that the modernization of the Bekabadcement capacities is underway. He said that soon new production line on production of cement with dry method with the capacity of 850,000 tonnes of cement clinker a year will be launched.

He said that the line will be commissioned by the end of 2012. The launch of the line will increase capacities on production of cement by 1 million tonnes. It will also create 100 new jobs.

In last ten years Uzbekistan increased the volume of cement production more than twice from 3.2 million tonnes to 6.8 million tonnes a year, he said.

Hodjakulov said measures on modernization, reconstruction of existing technologies, rational use of financial resources helped to increase the volume of cement production in local enterprises such as Ahangarancement, Bekabadcement, Kyzylkumcement and Quvasoycement. In 2008-2011, they achieved 100% load of their capacities.

In particular, Quvasoycement implemented a project “Cement milling station in Yangiul city to process clinker, produced at Bekabadcement with the capacity of 1 million tonnes of cement a year”.

According to the resolution of the government from 5 July 2012 “Organization of capacities on production of Portland cement and white cement in Jizzakh region”, construction of new cement plant has been launched in Zafarabad distruct of Jizzakh region. The plant will produce 350,000 tonnes of white cement or 760,000 tonnes of Portland cement a year, he said.

He said that the project cost made up US$114.2 million. Almalyk Mining and Metallurgy Combine and Turkey’s DAL TEKNIK MAKINA TICARET VE SANAYI A.S. are implementing the project.

Modernization of technological line has been started in Ahangarancement, which will allow to extend use of equipment. The project will be realized in 2013.

Currently, largest cement producers of Uzbekistan are Kyzylkumcement (3.1 million tonnes), Ahangarancment (1.74 million tonnes) and Quvasaycement (920,000 tonnes).