TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 10. Uzbekistan plans to implement 76 projects worth $2.6 billion over the next three years to expand the extraction and processing of critical minerals essential for industrial development, Trend reports.
The news follows a meeting held by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on expanding the resource base of critical minerals essential for industry and increasing the production of high-value-added products.
The projects will focus on 28 rare minerals, including tungsten, molybdenum, magnesium, lithium, germanium, graphite, vanadium, and titanium. To support this initiative, additional funding will be allocated for geological exploration and research.
A key objective is to extract valuable raw materials directly from ore using modern technologies, enhance mineral purity, and produce high-value-added products. For example, upgrading tungsten concentrate from the Ingichka deposit will double its added value. So far, eighteen similar projects have been developed.
Uzbekistan plans to create technoparks in Tashkent and Samarkand regions, rich in molybdenum and tungsten, to further strengthen the chain of raw materials - processing - science and technology - finished products.
President Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of technology transfer, setting up modern laboratories and training centers, and leveraging advanced industrial solutions to secure a strong position in the global critical minerals market amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution.