Uzbekistan has identified major mineral reserves at the Yoshlik-1 and Qalmoqqir deposits, including an estimated 45 million tonnes of copper and more than 5,000 tonnes of gold, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced during the launch ceremony of Copper Processing Plant No. 3 at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex (AGMK).
According to the president, the scale of these reserves is sufficient to supply Uzbekistan’s industrial sector with raw materials for at least the next 100 years.
In addition to copper and gold, the deposits also contain rare metals such as molybdenum, selenium, tellurium and rhenium, which could support the development of new high-tech and innovative industrial projects.
Mirziyoyev said the commissioning of the new processing facility significantly increases AGMK’s production capacity. Daily output of copper concentrate is expected to rise from 2,400 tonnes to approximately 5,000 tonnes.
The plant incorporates modern technologies supplied by companies from the United States, Germany, Russia, China and Finland. Operations will be managed through an integrated digital control system using artificial intelligence.
According to officials, the use of AI-driven monitoring and optimisation systems will reduce energy consumption by around 10%, lower production costs by 15% and increase labour productivity by roughly 10%.
The expansion of AGMK’s processing capacity forms part of Uzbekistan’s broader strategy to strengthen its mining and metallurgical sector while increasing value-added production from its domestic mineral resources.
Earlier, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that the country’s gold and foreign exchange reserves recently exceeded $77 billion for the first time.
