Coal

Energy resources play a significant role in the economy of the country. During the Soviet period Tajikistan needs for energy resources were ensured by the countries of the region in the amount of up to 2 million tons per year.

In the country itself, coal mining on an industrial scale was carried out mainly on the basis of two deposits (Shurab and Fan-Yagnob) and reached 1.5 million tons per year.

Among the coal deposits in Tajikistan, the most noteworthy is the Nazar-Ailokskoye anthracite deposit located in the Rasht region, 280 km far from Dushanbe. As a result of preliminary exploration, interrupted by the well-known events in 1991, 16 coal seams of simple and complex structure were revealed in the most studied eastern area, 15 of which are of industrial importance. The main interest is represented by anthracites 1U, U, U1 of seams, the quality of which is not inferior to the quality of the world-famous Vietnam Ha-Tu field. Technological tests carried out in specialized research institutes and enterprises of the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan proved the suitability of these anthracites for the production of a carburizer used in the smelting of special steels and synthetic iron, for graphitized refractories, calcium carbide, high-quality electrode products, electrocorundum, sorbents, water gas, substitutes coke and flake graphite. The established general geological reserves of coal of the deposit at this stage of exploration are determined in the amount of 212 million tons.