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Президент посетил АГМК для изучения объектов и запуска новых проектов комбината.

The President visited AGMK to review the facilities and kick off new projects for the plant.

Uzbekistan, Tashkent – According to AN Podrobno.uz, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Almalyk and the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Plant, which serves as the backbone and driving force of the city. The President engaged in discussions with specialists regarding ongoing projects, learned about new investment initiatives, and participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for new facilities.

Science is the engine of progress

First and foremost, the head of state familiarized himself with the activities of the Engineering School, which has recently opened at AGMK. This institution serves as a complement to the branches of Tashkent State Technical University and the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys in the training of qualified personnel for the enterprise.

Notably, the curriculum has been developed based on advanced educational methodologies from the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology in Germany, as well as leading German companies such as Aurubis and Günter Papenburg, with foreign professors and instructors participating in the educational process. Classes are conducted in both online and offline formats.

The school is equipped with all the necessary equipment for practical studies in mechanics, metallurgy, production automation, mineral enrichment processes, and energy. For this purpose, it has installed axial milling machines, CNC lathes, laser cutting equipment, and more.

Furthermore, students have a unique opportunity to utilize the electronic platform of a partner German higher education institution, which hosts electronic books and lectures.

"Times are changing, and innovations are penetrating every field. To become a worthy qualified specialist, you must constantly work on yourself. The future of the plant lies in digitalization. It is essential to digitalize every department and every stage of production," said Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a conversation with the students at the school.

Annually, the institution will prepare 480 engineers and enhance the qualifications of thousands of plant employees. Over 100 young individuals have already undergone training at the school as part of the specialist preparation for the third copper processing plant (MOP-3) of AGMK.

Grand Scale

The president also reviewed the construction progress of the MOP-3. The plant is being built as part of the project for the development of the "Yoshlik-1" deposit, which opens up new production opportunities and significant prospects for the plant's growth.

For reference. AGMK is a leader in the extraction of non-ferrous, rare, and precious metals. It accounts for 5% of the country's gross industrial output and 6% of industrial product exports. Last year, the enterprise produced 148,000 tons of copper, over 17 tons of gold, and 162 tons of silver. The plant exported products worth 662 million dollars.

The deposit spans an area of 11,000 hectares. Its substantial reserves allow for the annual extraction of 65 million tons of ore, containing 13 types of valuable and rare metals – gold, copper, silver, molybdenum, selenium.

To process the ores, the third copper processing plant is being constructed at the new quarry, starting from July 2021. The project was initiated by Shavkat Mirziyoyev himself, highlighting its significance.

The launch of the facility is scheduled for the end of this year. With its help, the plant will increase its ore processing capacity from 45 to 60 million tons in the first phase, and eventually to 105 million tons per year.

The cost of this grand project, "Yoshlik-1," is estimated at 4.6 billion dollars, including the development of the deposit, the construction of the plant, and its infrastructure. This is one of the largest investment projects in Uzbekistan's history. It will create jobs for 5,600 people and stimulate the development of related industries.

For instance, the construction of this large-scale facility has led to the establishment of factories for metal structures. One of them is Enter Steel, through which the head of state recently toured. The factory produced enough metal structures to build a dozen Eiffel Towers.

Additionally, the latest equipment from leading global manufacturers and a fully automated management system for MOP-3 require a new level of professional training, which stimulates the development of engineering and IT education. Notably, due to its technological advancements, the plant aims to be the only one of its kind in the entire CIS region.

Working for the well-being of the people

After reviewing the ongoing work, Shavkat Mirziyoyev kicked off the construction of the fourth copper processing plant of AGMK.

The new project, estimated to cost 5.3 billion dollars, will increase capacities by another 60 million tons of ore per year and enable the production of 146,000 tons of copper cathodes, 13 tons of gold, and 73 tons of silver annually.

The general designer will be the Italian company Wood, while technical oversight will be managed by the British company Worley Parsons. Industry giants such as Metso (Sweden), Hatch (Canada), FLSmidth (USA), and Weir Mineral (UK) will also be involved in its implementation.

High-tech, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective technologies will be utilized at the production sites.

Currently, a technological regulation for the project has been developed, master plan layouts for the plant with the placement of major technological workshops have been prepared, groundwork documentation is being drafted, and suppliers for crushing and grinding equipment have been selected, along with companies for other equipment. The plant will employ modern, environmentally safe, and cost-effective technologies.

Additionally, a mining complex, a cyclic-flow technology for ore transportation, external water supply, and a tailings storage facility will be constructed as part of the project.

In the future, over 6,000 people are expected to be employed at the plant and its infrastructure facilities.

Moreover, a fifth copper processing plant is currently being designed for AGMK. It is remarkable how quickly the pace of introducing new capacities has accelerated at the plant – while two processing plants were built over the entire 75-year history of the enterprise, now, due to rapid development and strengthened collaboration with leading global manufacturers, it takes just a few years.

Ultimately, all of this aims to elevate the Almalyk plant among the largest industrial complexes in the mining and metallurgy sector globally.

According to experts, Almalyk possesses some of the largest reserves of copper and gold in the world – 45 million tons and over 5,000 tons, respectively.

Considering the dynamic growth of the green economy, electrical engineering, and electric vehicle manufacturing, along with forecasts predicting a 40% increase in copper demand by 2030, the products of the Almalyk plant will be in high demand in international markets for many years to come. This, in turn, will undoubtedly reflect positively on the welfare of the population.