Kungrad Soda Plant expanding its capacity to 1.5 K tonnes per year

During 2013-2014, the State Joint Stock Company Uzkhimprom and China's Citic Pacific Ltd. is undertaking a project to increase the current capacity of the Kungrad Soda Plant in northern Karakalpakstan to 150,000 tons of soda ash per year.

The two companies signed a memorandum of cooperation in 2012, which envisages increasing the plants capacity by 1.5 times - up to 150 KTa of soda ash by 2015. Specialists from Citic Pacific and from the design institute "Uzkhimesanoatloyiha" a division of Uzkhimprom feasibility estimate that the cost of the expansion will be in the order of USD 50 million. The project financing is via a loan from China Exim Bank and the Uzbek companies funds.

Note: The first stage of the expansion which doubled production to 100 KTa of soda ash was commissioned in August 2006 at a total project cost of USD 100 million.

Source: http://www.mrcplast.com/news-news_open-144166.html and http://en.trend.az/capital/business/1935684.html