The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on the issues of sustainable development of the coal industry.

On March 5, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on the issues of sustainable development of the coal industry.

The coal industry is an integral component of the fuel and energy complex and one of the important factors for the country’s development.

In Uzbekistan, 1 million tons of coal are delivered annually to the population and 400 thousand tons of coal to social facilities. 4 million tons of coal are burned to generate electricity at New-Angren and Angren thermal power stations.

At the meeting, it was noted that coal mining plans are not fulfilled, system problems in the industry have not been eliminated in recent years in presence of a large potential of coal deposits.

For example, the technical and technological base of deposits is outdated. The work on opening mines lags behind at Angren deposit, which is the main source of raw materials. The slope angle of the pit has exceeded the norm, and conditions for mining operations have reached a dangerous level.

It is planned to transfer Uzbekkumir (Uzbek coal) JSC to external professional management for prompt and effective solution of these issues.

Measures on improving the situation in Angren field were identified at the meeting.

The need was noted for development of a strategy for improving Angren deposit, providing for the maximum provision of the needs of industries and the population for coal in the near and long term.

The President paid special attention to the issue of improving the financial stability of Uzbekkumir JSC. The Ministries of Finance and Energy have been instructed to optimize coal prices, increase the profitability of the industry and cover investment costs.

The need for updating the vehicle fleet for the effective organization of quarrying works was noted. Responsible persons were instructed to purchase necessary dump trucks and other special equipment according to the best offers.

Instructions were given on reducing production costs by decommissioning equipment that is not used in mining.

Attention was also paid to issues of ensuring safety of the population living near the southern border of Angren field.

The Cabinet of Ministers was given instructions on the issues discussed at the meeting, in particular, on development of a program of comprehensive measures for improving the management efficiency of Uzbekkumir JSC, involvement of an external professional manager, introduction of modern technologies in the industry.

Information of responsible persons was heard on the issues discussed.