Accessibility and Roads
The Chaarat deposit is situated some 320km south-west of Bishkek and 145 km north-east of Tashkent in Uzbekistan. Driving distance to the deposit is 500km from Bishkek and 195km from Maimak the nearest rail terminal where the company intends to build a marshalling court.
Access to the deposit is from the main all weather road running along the Chatkal valley. This road can be accessed either from the Talas valley up north going through two mountain passes Too Ashu Pass to and the Karabura pass or from the South from the Chapchama pass.
The road to the deposit from the Chatkal valley runs along a 35 km route across the Sandalash ridge and the Kumbel mountain pass (3280 ASL) into the Sandalash. This road is currently being upgraded and converted to an all weather road.
Power
The project will be connected to the grid by a 103 km power line with a backup station located near the process plant. Approximately one third of the power line, the 5 MW back-up power station and the complete internal distribution system is being currently built. The company is preparing a detailed study of a power line from one of the main sub-stations of the country in Kristal to Chaarat. Finance will be sought in due course to complete the power line all the way to the grid hence reducing significantly the cost of power and the cost of production.