Uzbekistan to Launch E-lom Platform for Scrap Metal Tracking

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to launch the E-lom electronic platform on 1 August 2026 to enable real-time tracking of ferrous metal turnover. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the initiative on 13 July 2026 during a meeting in Bekabad focused on the development of the metallurgical industry.

According to data presented at the meeting, demand for steel sheets, rolled sections, pipes, and metal structures in the country has tripled over the past 10 years, reaching 5.5 million tons. Furthermore, the construction of a nuclear power plant, a fourth copper concentration copper-enrichment plant, and a new copper smelter alone will require approximately 2.5 million tons of steel sheets and rebar.

Over the next five years, the country plans to commission new production capacities worth US$180 billion, implement infrastructure projects valued at US$27 billion, and construct multi-family residential buildings designed for 800,000 apartments. Consequently, the annual demand for metal products is expected to exceed 8 million tons by 2030.

The president instructed officials to prepare detailed calculations of the production capacities required to meet this projected demand.

The meeting highlighted that ferrous metallurgy remains a key supplier of raw materials for construction, building materials production, the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, energy, and the electrical industry. The combined volume of these sectors is estimated at US$50 billion.

However, the industry continues to face high dependence on imported raw materials, significant production and energy costs, and an insufficient level of digitalization and implementation of artificial intelligence technologies.

Particular attention was paid to the scrap metal market. According to figures presented at the meeting, the Bekabad metallurgical plant produces about 40% of its rolled metal from recycled metal, while the remaining 60% of raw materials are imported. The enterprise officially receives approximately 700,000 tons of ferrous scrap metal annually; however, government estimates indicate that another 500,000 tons of scrap metal remain in shadow turnover.

To strengthen control over the market, all operations involving ferrous metals will be transferred to the E-lom electronic platform, which is scheduled to begin operations on 1 August 2026.

In addition, a separate project office will be established under the government. Its responsibilities will include daily analysis of the metal products market, monitoring demand and supply for raw materials and finished products, and maintaining digital product passports containing information regarding quality, origin, and chemical and physical composition.

The president ordered the project office to be launched within a month.

Earlier during his working visit to Bekabad, Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the commissioning ceremony of a new casting and rolling complex at the Uzbek Metallurgical Plant, marking the country's first production facility for hot-rolled sheet metal.