BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 1. The completion of the new copper smelting complex at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex (AMMC) in Uzbekistan is scheduled for the coming years, AMMC Chairman Abdulla Khursanov said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
"The new copper smelting complex is aimed at expanding the current capacity for cathode copper production from 148,000 tons to 300,000 tons. The project is being implemented on the existing complex's territory and is divided into several key facilities: a metallurgical and sulfuric acid shop, an oxygen block, a slag-processing plant, a concentrate and charge preparation warehouse, a copper electrolysis shop, the new plant’s power supply system, and infrastructure," he said.
According to him, contractors have already been selected for the metallurgical and sulfuric acid shops, the oxygen block, and internal power supply facilities. Contracts have been signed, and funding has been secured for these areas.
"The project is being implemented with the active financial support of KfW IPEX Bank and AKA Bank. KfW has taken on the role of financing organizer, including the creation of a banking syndicate to effectively coordinate international cooperation," Khursanov added.
Earlier, KfW IPEX Bank and AKA Bank (Germany) signed an agreement with Uzbekistan's Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (AMMC) on construction of a new copper smelting complex in Uzbekistan.
To note, in 1949, Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex was founded. The company has around 35,000 workers. Revenue in 2021 was $3 billion USD. Over 100 goods are made by the company. AMMC exports 1.1 billion USD non-gold annually. Over 45 million tons of copper, 5 thousand tons of gold, 900,000 tons of molybdenum, and 348,000 tons of silver are estimated by JORC at AMMC. Kalmakyr and Yoshlik-1 open-pit mines have 19.5 billion tons of ore, which could last 350 years at current production. The corporation will dramatically increase manufacturing in 6–8 years.