Uzbekistan will invest $4.2 billion by 2030 to implement 120 projects for developing critical mineral deposits and organizing their deep processing. Plans for developing the resource base were presented at a briefing for President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, reports his press service.
This volume of investment will allow the industry's output to grow to $1 billion by 2028 and to $2 billion by 2030, the press service noted.
Uzbekistan has the opportunity to organize industrial production of 28 types of essential minerals through the development of new deposits and the construction of beneficiation plants and hydro- and pyrometallurgical facilities. Currently, however, the Uzbek Plant of Technological Metals (UzCTM) mainly produces tungsten and molybdenum. The plans outlined for 2026–2030 envisage the full use of this existing potential.
In 2026, 12 projects with a total value of $166 million are set to launch. As a result, production of three new types of metals will be established — high-purity selenium, tellurium, and rhenium — along with 21 types of import-substituting products, including automotive components based on powder metallurgy and sulfuric acid. The commissioning of new production capacities will create hundreds of jobs, increase budget revenues, and expand export opportunities.
In tungsten and molybdenum processing, the key task will be to form a complete «raw materials – processing – finished product» chain. This will allow for the production not only of concentrates and semi-finished products but also of high-value-added items — metal powders, alloys, rods, wire, industrial parts, and other finished goods.
To this end, the activities of the «Metals of the Future» technopark in the city of Chirchiq will be expanded, an R&D (Research and Development) center will be created, and a nanoanalysis laboratory will be set up to provide modern analytical services for projects in geology, mining, and metallurgy. After its full launch, the laboratory will be able to analyze up to one thousand samples per day, localize service imports worth $6.5 million, and establish their export for an additional $4 million.
Mirziyoyev instructed that additional benefits be granted to the technopark and its residents regarding the use of land plots and infrastructure, and that a startup financing program be developed. In addition, a research and technology center for critical minerals is planned in Chirchiq, which currently has no equivalent in Central Asia.
The briefing highlighted the importance of expanding geological exploration, assessing promising areas and deposits according to international standards, and processing technogenic waste. The need to actively attract foreign investors and technology partners to accelerate project implementation in the industry was discussed, while the importance of digitalization and the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies was emphasized.
The President stated that the development of critical minerals should become the foundation for technological independence and the creation of highly skilled jobs.
