Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 15th visited the "Yoshlik-1" mine and the 3rd copper enrichment factory being constructed on its basis in Olmaliq here.
The Olmaliq mining-metallurgical combine is a leader in mining colored, rare, and precious metals. It accounts for 5 percent of our country's gross industrial products and 6 percent of industrial product exports. About 35,000 people work within the combine system.
Last year, 148 thousand tons of copper, more than 17 tons of gold, and 162 tons of silver were produced. 1 billion 100 million dollars of investments were utilized, and products worth 662 million dollars were exported.
In recent years, due to an increase in geological explorations and investments, new production opportunities are being discovered. One of these is the “Yoshlik-1” mine. Here, a promising investment project is being implemented in accordance with the decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated March 1st, 2017.
The mine area covers 11 thousand hectares. Its reserve capacity is substantial – 65 million tons of ore annually. This mine contains 13 types of valuable and rare metals, including gold, copper, silver, molybdenum, selenium, and others.
The leader of our state visited this mine, reviewed the excavation works, and had discussions with specialists.
To produce high-value products from the minerals of the "Yoshlik-1" mine, the 3rd copper enrichment factory of the Olmaliq mining-metallurgical combine is being constructed. Its foundation stone was laid on July 29, 2021.
The value of this major project is 4.6 billion dollars, which includes mining, factory construction, and infrastructure. To date, 200 million cubic meters of the mine surface have been opened, 41 kilometers of railway have been laid, and a 650-megawatt substation has been installed. Equipment has been brought in from the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Turkey, China, Russia, and other European countries. The construction of the factory and other infrastructure is progressing rapidly.
Our President became thoroughly acquainted with the grand construction works taking place here. Information about the economic efficiency of the upcoming plant, the advanced technologies to be applied, and the conveniences in the work process was provided.
This factory will initially have the capacity to process 60 million tons of ore annually. This will allow the production of 917 thousand tons of copper and 2.5 thousand tons of molybdenum concentrates annually. It will ensure employment for 5,600 people.
This major project has also given an impetus to the development of related industrial sectors. For example, 6 plants have been launched to supply metal constructions for the construction of the factory. Engineering, software support, and vocational education are reaching a new level. There is a growing demand for new residential areas and services.
The logistics process will also be facilitated at the factory. Conveyors will be installed between all buildings of the factory. This will eliminate the need for loading and transportation, reducing costs.
In the second phase, the capacity will reach 160 million tons, which is three times today's figures. As a result of these two phases, by 2028, the enterprise will have the capacity to produce annually 400 thousand tons of copper, 50 tons of gold, and 270 tons of silver. Thus, the Olmaliq combine will become one of the largest industrial complexes in the world of mining-metallurgy.
According to international assessment criteria, it has been determined that Olmaliq has a gross reserve of 45 million tons of copper and over 5 thousand tons of gold reserves. These are among the largest and most unique indicators in the world.
Another important aspect is that today, the “green economy”, electrical engineering, and the electric vehicle industry are developing rapidly worldwide. As a result, by 2030, the demand for copper products is expected to increase by 40 percent.
That means, for many years to come, the products of the Olmaliq combine will be in high demand internationally. In the future, the volume of products manufactured by the combine will increase more than threefold, reaching nearly 8 billion dollars in value. 11,000 new, high-technology jobs will be created.
