Uzbek President Launches 3rd Copper Processing Plant of AGMK

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the launch of the third copper processing plant at Almalyk Mining and Metallurgy Combine (AGMK) in Almalyk, Tashkent region.

As part of preparations for the holy months of Ramadan and Nowruz, Uzbekistan continues to roll out major projects across industry, energy, infrastructure, and the service sector. New residential areas, educational and medical facilities, as well as tourism and cultural sites, are being built in every region of the country.

“All our work is aimed at a single goal — further economic development, creating new jobs, giving districts the look of the ‘New Uzbekistan,’ and, of course, improving the well-being of our citizens. Today’s launch of the third copper processing plant is an example of these large-scale efforts and the dedication of our people,” the President said.

The project’s cost is US$2.7 billion. It is not just a facility but a modern industrial complex that will strengthen the country’s industrial potential and enable deep processing of natural resources.

In recent years, Uzbekistan’s mining and metallurgical sector has undergone major reforms. Previously, the extraction of precious and non-ferrous metals was handled by only two plants.

Thanks to the establishment of a transparent system for allocating deposits to investors, US$10 billion in foreign investment has flowed into the sector over the past nine years. Today, 65 private companies operate in the industry.

If in the first 25 years of independence gold production rose from 63 to 87 tons, in the past nine years it increased by another 31 tons, reaching 118.4 tons last year.

Similar growth has been recorded in other areas: since 2016, silver production has increased 1.6 times, uranium 2.1 times, and copper 1.4 times. As a result, overall production in the sector has grown 1.7 times, reaching 270 trillion soms last year.

Special attention is given to the fact that mining and metallurgical enterprises provide the highest incomes and employment opportunities. Today, an excavator operator earns up to 30 million soms, drillers and large truck drivers up to 40 million soms, and geologists and surveyors up to 70 million soms.

One of the sector’s major achievements has been the establishment of a system for training highly qualified personnel in cooperation with international partners.

In particular, Almalyk hosts a branch of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISiS), as well as the Almalyk Technical Institute, the University of Geological Sciences in Tashkent (in collaboration with Wuhan University, China), and a branch of the University of Pisa, Italy.

At the Navoi Mining University, joint programs are being implemented with leading universities in Russia, Canada, the United States, France, and Chile. These institutions train around 2,500 specialized professionals annually.

As a result, while previously precious and non-ferrous metals were mostly exported in raw form, today Uzbekistan processes up to 100,000 tons of copper per year, producing high-value products. In a short period, output in the jewelry industry has grown 3.3 times, exceeding 13 trillion soms.

With projects scheduled for commissioning this year, the country’s copper deep-processing capacity will reach 240,000 tons. In the next two to three years, new projects will further expand this capacity.

Global demand for copper continues to grow daily. Today, copper is a strategic resource for industry, energy, electrical engineering, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and green development.

“Those who create high added value in the copper industry are effectively laying the foundation for the industry of the future. A state that builds robust infrastructure for deep processing of this resource will bring income to thousands of families, drive regional development, and strengthen the country. That is why from the very first days of reform, we have paid special attention to geological exploration, assessing existing reserves and our capacity to develop them,” the President emphasized.

An illustrative example is the Yoshlik-1 deposit. Until recently, many believed that “this deposit is difficult to develop, we lack the capacity, we won’t manage.” However, this year alone, 20 million tons of ore are planned to be extracted, with production expected to reach 60 million tons over the next two years.

Overall, the Yoshlik-1 and Kalmokkir deposits hold approximately 45 million tons of copper and over 5,000 tons of gold. These resources will provide the industry with a secure raw material base for at least 100 years.

Rare metals such as molybdenum, selenium, tellurium, and rhenium will lay a solid foundation for projects in new, innovative sectors.

After the full launch of the third copper processing plant, the daily output of copper concentrate at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine will increase from the current 2,400 tons to 5,000 tons. The project will also create highly paid jobs for more than 6,000 young specialists.

The plant incorporates advanced mining and metallurgical technologies from the United States, Germany, Russia, China, and Finland. All technological processes will be digitized and integrated into a unified management system powered by artificial intelligence. This will reduce energy consumption by 10%, cut production costs by 15%, and increase labor productivity by 10%.

In addition, the construction of a new copper smelting plant, valued at US$2.5 billion, has been launched, which will create over a thousand new jobs.

As a result of these two major facilities, annual production will reach 300,000 tons of cathode copper, 33 tons of gold, 203 tons of silver, and 1,700 tons of molybdenum. Uranium extraction and sulfuric acid production for the chemical industry will also triple, generating an additional US$5 billion in annual revenue for the combine.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized that the combine’s plans remain ambitious. Preparatory work is actively underway for a fourth copper processing plant, which is expected to further increase these output figures by 1.5 times.

Once these new projects are operational, the Almalyk Combine will become one of the three largest copper-producing complexes in the world.

Uzbekistan aims to increase gold production to 175 tons, silver to 500 tons, uranium to 15,000 tons, and copper to 500,000 tons by 2030. Projects totaling US$22 billion are expected to create around 40,000 high-paying jobs, providing significant opportunities for the country’s youth.

“I want to address the republic’s activists: encourage young people to study, seek knowledge, work at these enterprises, and secure a respectable place in life,” the President said.

Today’s launch of the third copper processing plant is set to elevate Uzbekistan’s mining and metallurgical sector to a new technological level.

The Head of State expressed his deep gratitude to all workers, builders, machine operators, engineers, technologists, geologists, miners, as well as honorary mentors and international partners who contributed to the project. He wished the plant’s team great success in their future work.

At the ceremony, plant employees, honored labor veterans, and university professors spoke, and the President officially inaugurated the new plant.