President of Uzbekistan Reviews Yoshlik-1 Copper Deposit Development and Processing Plant Expansion
On October 15, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the progress of the Yoshlik-1 deposit development in Almalyk, along with the construction of the third copper processing plant based on this deposit.
The Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (AMMC) is a leader in the extraction of non-ferrous, rare, and precious metals. In 2023, the combine produced 148,000 tonnes of copper, over 17 tonnes of gold, and 162 tonnes of silver.
The third copper processing plant at AMMC is being constructed to process ore from the Yoshlik-1 deposit. The foundation for the plant was laid on July 29, 2021. This major project, valued at $4.6 billion, includes the development of the deposit, the construction of the plant, and its associated infrastructure. In the first phase, the plant will have the capacity to process 60 million tonnes of ore per year, producing 917,000 tonnes of copper and 2,500 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate annually.
The second phase of the project involves constructing a fourth copper processing plant, with a budget of $5.3 billion. This new facility will add capacity to produce 146,000 tonnes of copper cathode, 13 tonnes of gold, and 73 tonnes of silver per year. Once the second phase is complete, the plant's ore processing capacity will reach 160 million tonnes per year.
Upon completing both phases by 2028, AMMC is expected to produce 400,000 tonnes of copper, 50 tonnes of gold, and 270 tonnes of silver annually. This expansion will position the Almalyk Combine as one of the world's largest industrial complexes in the mining and metallurgical sector.
