On July 9 2024, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a report on ongoing work and the progress of investment projects in the field of geology. Responsible officials reported on the tasks set at the beginning of the year.
Notably, nearly 3 million tons of coal were extracted in the last 6 months. At the joint-stock company “Shargunkumir,” underground mechanized complexes have been fully operational, achieving a daily coal production of 3,500 tons.
For the second half of the year, plans include extracting an additional 5 million tons of coal. Of this, 1.8 million tons will be supplied to thermal power plants, over 1 million tons to the population, 540,000 tons to social institutions, and 1.8 million tons of local coal will be offered in stock exchanges.
Overall, coal production is expected to increase by 1.4 million tons compared to last year, significantly reducing import volumes.
The industry is also implementing several investment projects. For instance, the Chinese company “Henan” plans to directly invest $400 million in developing the Nishbash deposit. This project aims to extract up to 8 million tons of coal annually using underground methods and enrich 5 million tons of coal.
Uzbekistan has substantial reserves of kaolin. Currently, entrepreneurs are extracting 396,000 tons of this raw material. As part of the Geology Program for 2024-2025, initiators will propose 7 deposits, increasing the extraction volume to 2.7 million tons.
Additionally, a joint venture with Turkish company “Bab Energy ve Petrol Urunleri A.S.” will produce enriched kaolin from the Aparthak-3 deposit in the Tashkent region. This project will create 40 new jobs and yield 70,000 tons of enriched kaolin annually.
During a meeting on April 29, the head of state emphasized critical minerals for the industry. Subsequently, the joint-stock company “Uzbek Combinate of Technological Metals” was established, focusing on scientific and technological research and geological exploration. They’ve developed 34 projects worth $40 million.
Efforts are underway to enhance cooperation with foreign partners, including leading companies and qualified experts. Notably, an agreement was signed with the KIGAM institute during the visit of the President of the Republic of Korea, allocating $10 million for rare mineral exploration, technological research, and digitization.
Information on the progress of joint projects with the People’s Republic of China, totalling $800 million, was also presented.
The head of state issued directives to expand geological exploration and add value to products derived from raw materials
