Solvomet KU Leuven Signs First Service Contract with Uzbek TMK

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Solvomet KU Leuven has signed its first-ever service contract with the Uzbek Technological Metallurgical Complex (TMK).

The agreement was formalized during a special session titled “Investment Opportunities in Critical Raw Materials in Uzbekistan”, organized by EIT RawMaterials and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) as part of EU Critical Raw Materials Week 2025.

TMK is a major mining and metallurgical company managing over 100 projects related to critical raw materials, including tungsten and molybdenum.

The new project will focus on the extraction of rare earth elements and rhenium from leach solutions generated after uranium enrichment at U-REE-Re mines in Uzbekistan. Research will be conducted at the SOLVOMET KU Leuven R&I Center under Professor Koen Binnemans and integrated into the SIM² KU Leuven platform.

TMK Vice Chairman for Science and Development, Amir Abidov, described the contract signing as a “historic achievement for Uzbekistan,” noting that it opens “a new chapter in the country’s technological development and international collaboration in critical raw materials.”

Charlotte Adrian from DG INTPA emphasized the significance of the event, highlighting that on 24 October 2025, the EU and Uzbekistan signed the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), aimed at strengthening critical resource supply chains, building capacity, and facilitating technology exchange.

The project is set to start in January 2026 and will be the first in a series of joint initiatives, reflecting Uzbekistan’s substantial potential in critical raw materials and the strategic EU-Uzbekistan partnership in the CRM sector.

The agreement aligns with Europe’s long-term strategy to establish reliable partnerships ensuring access to critical materials.