TASHKENT, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan for the first time will start mass production of winter diesel fuel on Oct. 20 at the Fergana oil refinery to meet the demands of the national economy and private car owners, Uzbek Energy Ministry said Friday.
The new plant is expected to refine 3.6 billion cubic meters of gas a year and produce 1.5 million tons of fuel.
The ministry said that Central Asia's most populous nation with 34 million people has been importing winter diesel fuel so far.
Uzbekistan owns two oil refineries, located in Fergana and Bukhara regions, but the country still needs to import fuel to cover its needs, mainly from Russia and Kazakhstan.
Currently Uzbekistan is completing the construction of a 3.7-billion-U.S.-dollar gas-to-liquid plant jointly with foreign partners to use its large natural gas reserve to produce more fuels such as diesel. Enditem
