President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the progress of major investment projects in the copper industry and plans for its future development Monday.
The presentation highlighted that copper is increasingly becoming a strategic raw material for industry, energy, electrical engineering, the digital economy, and green development. Consequently, Uzbekistan is placing a strong emphasis on expanding geological exploration, efficiently developing existing reserves, ensuring deep processing of raw materials, and manufacturing high-value-added products.
In March of this year, the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex (AMMC) launched the first phase of its 3rd Copper Concentration Plant. Developed under the "Yoshlik-1" deposit development program, this $2.7 billion project spans 196 hectares. Once operating at maximum capacity, the facility will be able to process 60 million tons of ore and produce nearly 900,000 tons of copper concentrate annually.
Today's briefing focused on the ongoing efforts to commission the subsequent phases of the plant, stabilize technological operations, and hit production targets on schedule. Specifically, a definitive timeline has been established to gradually bring the ball mills in the grinding shop and the flotation lines up to full capacity.
By the end of this year, the 3rd Copper Concentration Plant is tasked with further scaling up its ore processing volume, fully activating all primary technological chains, and ensuring operational stability.
Once the 3rd plant becomes fully operational, the complex's daily copper concentrate production is projected to more than double, jumping from 2,400 tons to 5,000 tons. The integration of modern technologies will cut energy consumption and production costs while significantly boosting labor productivity.
The presentation also addressed accelerating the development of the 4th Copper Concentration Plant project. Basic engineering documentation is currently being prepared, alongside ongoing earthworks and geological drilling at the construction site.
Drawing from the experience gained with the 3rd plant, this upcoming project places a strong emphasis on optimizing technological solutions and maximizing energy and water efficiency.
Furthermore, measures have been outlined to collaborate with international engineering firms to refine the technological chains for gravity separation, flotation, concentrate drying, and tailings thickening. Steps are also underway to finalize the project's feasibility study to secure funding from foreign financial institutions.
Officials were instructed to allocate the necessary land for the 4th Copper Concentration Plant, push forward with site preparation, complete the basic engineering designs on schedule, and finalize a phased commissioning plan for the project.
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