Tajikistan has expressed interest in partnering with Russia’s Tatneft to open an oil refinery in the Dangara free economic zone, located in the Khatlon region. This initiative was disclosed by Sherali Kabir, Tajikistan’s Minister of Industry and New Technologies, at an investment forum in Dushanbe that brought together representatives from Tajik and Russian companies.
Kabir outlined the potential advantages of cooperating with Tatneft, highlighting the goal of expanding production capabilities in fuel and lubricant manufacturing. "One of the key areas of development between our countries is enhancing production capacities and creating new mechanisms for cooperation," Kabir noted. He added that launching the refinery with Tatneft could contribute to significant progress in this area.
According to Kabir, the collaboration could also enable Tatneft to enter markets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Timur Yoribek, Head of the International Relations Department at Tajikistan’s Ministry of Industry, commented on the strategic opportunity this presents: “Up to 30% of Tatneft’s raw materials are exported. By processing them in Tajikistan, the company could gain access to a considerable market—40 mn people in Afghanistan and over 230 mn in Pakistan.”
Yoribek further noted that Tajikistan’s geographic positioning provides logistical advantages, with seven bridges connecting to Afghanistan and the shortest routes to Pakistan’s seaports.
The construction of the Dangara oil refinery began in 2014 and was completed in 2018. However, commissioning of the plant, which has a planned capacity of 1.2 mn tons of oil annually, has been delayed due to a shortage of raw materials. Tajikistan produces a limited amount of oil, insufficient to meet the needs of its refineries.
Comments (0)