On March 16, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the launch ceremony of Copper Processing Plant No. 3 at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex.
This $2.7 billion project was implemented as part of the development program of the Yoshlik-1 deposit. The plant, capable of processing 60 million tons of ore and producing about 900,000 tons of copper concentrate annually, is not only one of the largest copper producers in Central Asia but also ranks among the world’s largest processing plants.
The plant incorporates advanced technologies from leading global companies such as Metso, FLSmidth, Weir Minerals, and Siemens.
In his speech, the President outlined plans for the mining industry. He said that previously, precious and non-ferrous metals were mainly exported unprocessed, but today 100,000 tons of copper are processed in the country and high value-added products are produced.
The President noted that, considering the projects to be launched this year, the capacity for deep processing of copper will reach 240,000 tons.
He noted that copper has become a strategic raw material for industry, energy, electrical engineering, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and green development.
“Whoever builds a high value-added chain in the copper industry will lay the foundation for the industry of the future. A country that creates sustainable infrastructure for the deep processing of this raw material will bring income to thousands of families, development to regions, and strength to the state,” the President said.
This year alone, 20 million tons of ore will be extracted from the Yoshlik-1 deposit. Over the next two years, this figure will reach 60 million tons.
The Yoshlik-1 and Kalmakyr deposits contain reserves of 45 million tons of copper and more than 5,000 tons of gold, which will provide the industry with a guaranteed supply of raw materials for at least 100 years. Rare metals such as molybdenum, selenium, tellurium and rhenium contained in these deposits create a solid foundation for projects in new innovative areas.
Once Copper Processing Plant No. 3 reaches full capacity, the daily production of copper concentrate at the Almalyk Combine will increase from the current 2,400 tons to 5,000 tons. The plant is introducing the most advanced mining technologies from the United States, Germany, Russia, China, and Finland. All technological processes will be digitised and integrated into a unified management system based on artificial intelligence. As a result, energy consumption will decrease by 10 percent, production costs by 15 percent, while labour productivity will increase by 10 percent.
In addition, work has begun on the construction of a new copper smelting plant worth $2.5 billion.
Overall, thanks to these two large facilities, the annual production of copper cathodes will increase from 148,500 tons to 300,000 tons, gold from 20 tons to 33 tons, silver from 161 tons to 203 tons, and molybdenum from 850 tons to 1,700 tons. In addition, the production of sulfuric acid – a raw material indispensable in uranium mining and the chemical industry – will triple.
By 2030, Uzbekistan intends to increase the extraction of gold to 175 tons, silver to 500 tons, uranium to 15,000 tons, and copper to 500,000 tons.
Photo: president.uz
