On July 9, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the progress and status of investment projects in the field of geology.
The responsible individuals provided updates on the completion of tasks set at the beginning of the year.
During the past 6 months, nearly 3 million tons of coal have been extracted. The Shargunkumir JSC has successfully launched underground mechanized complexes, resulting in a daily coal production of 3.5 thousand tons.
For the second half of the year, the plan is to extract over 5 million tons of coal, with 1.8 million tons allocated for thermal power plants, 1 million tons for the general population, 540 thousand tons for social institutions, and 1.8 million tons of local coal for exchange trading.
Overall, it is projected that coal production will increase by 1.4 million tons this year compared to last year, while import volumes will decrease significantly.
Furthermore, there are several ongoing investment projects in the industry, including a $400 million investment from Chinese company Henan for the development of the Nishbash deposit. This project aims to extract up to 8 million tons of coal underground and process 5 million tons of coal annually.
Uzbekistan has significant reserves of kaolin, with 396 thousand tons currently being extracted by entrepreneurs. As part of the Geology Program for 2024-2025, 7 deposits will be offered to potential investors, increasing production to 2.7 million tons.
Additionally, a joint project with Turkish company Bab Energy ve Petrol Urunleri A.S. is underway to produce enriched kaolin at the Apartak-3 deposit in the Tashkent region. This will create 40 new jobs and produce 70 thousand tons of enriched kaolin annually.
During a meeting on April 29, the President emphasized the importance of critical minerals for industry. As a result, the Uzbek Technological Metals Plant JSC was established, with 34 projects worth $40 million dedicated to scientific and technological research and geological exploration.
Efforts are being made to expand cooperation with foreign partners by attracting top foreign companies and experts to the field. Last month, an agreement was signed with the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) for a $10 million grant project to search for rare minerals, conduct technological research, and digitalize operations.
An update was also provided on joint projects with the People’s Republic of China, totaling $800 million.
The President instructed for further development of geological exploration and value-added production from extracted raw materials.
UzA