Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has officially inaugurated the third copper processing plant in Almalyk, located in the Tashkent Region, marking a major milestone in the country’s rapidly expanding mining and metallurgy sector.

The new facility, built with an investment of $2.7 billion, is designed as a modern industrial complex aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan’s industrial capacity and enabling deep processing of natural resources, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

The president noted that the project reflects the country’s broader push to boost economic growth, create jobs, and transform regions under the vision of “New Uzbekistan.”

Uzbekistan’s mining and metallurgical industry has undergone major reforms in recent years. While only two major plants previously handled precious and non-ferrous metals, foreign investments totaling about $10 billion have entered the sector over the past nine years, leading to the emergence of 65 private companies.

Production has also surged: gold output reached 118.4 tons last year, while silver production increased 1.6 times, uranium 2.1 times, and copper 1.4 times since 2016. Overall, industry output has grown 1.7 times, reaching 270 trillion soums.

Once fully operational, the new plant will boost copper concentrate processing at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex from 2,400 tons to 5,000 tons per day and create more than 6,000 high-paying jobs.

The project also incorporates advanced technologies from the US, Germany, Russia, China, and Finland, with all processes digitally integrated into an AI-based management system. This is expected to reduce energy consumption by 10 per cent, cut production costs by 15 per cent, and increase labor productivity.

Authorities say Uzbekistan aims to double down on copper processing capacity, with plans already announced for a fourth copper plant. Once the new projects are completed, Almalyk could become one of the three largest copper-producing complexes in the world.

The country has set ambitious targets by 2030: producing 175 tons of gold, 500 tons of silver, 15,000 tons of uranium, and 500,000 tons of copper annually, while creating around 40,000 high-paid jobs through $22 billion in new projects.