Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 30 / Trend, D. Azizov /
The Tashkent based Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex started constructing a new smelting furnace worth $98.2 million in Uzbekistan, the corporation told Trend on Thursday.
According to the source, the design capacity of the furnace will be 17,000 tons of copper per year.
The project will be financed by a loan from the Uzbek Fund for Reconstruction and Development worth $60 million, AMMC's own funds - $ 25 million and Uzbek banks' loans - $ 13.2 million.
The German company Ausmelt will supply the "turnkey" equipment.
A new furnace is planned to be commissioned by late 2014.
It was reported that AMMC plans to implement a project on the reconstruction of crushing and milling units of the copper concentrating factory with a total value of $218.6 million, which will increase ore processing by 6 million tons annually - up to 35 million tons.
It was reported that AMMC implemented a project to reconstruct and expand the "Kalmakyr" copper mine worth $122.2 million at the end of last year.
The design capacity of the mine before the reconstruction was 27 million tons of ore a year. As a result of the implemented project, ore extraction at the mine increased by 4 million tons of ore per year.
The project on Sari-Cheku quarry expansion and reconstruction worth $23.7 million envisages additional production of 2.7 million tons of ore. The enterprise transfers $8.7 million of own funds and loans of Uzbek banks to the amount of $ 15 million to implement this project.
Almalyk MMC is the only copper producer in Uzbekistan and one of the largest manufacturers of non-ferrous metals in Central Asia. The AMMC accounts for nearly 90% of silver production and 20% of gold production in the country. The plant is composed of two mining companies, two processing plants and two metallurgical plants.