Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine is the leading enterprise for extraction and processing of copper-molybdenum, polymetallic and gold-bearing ores, not only in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, but it is also one of the 30 largest enterprises in the world for the extraction and production of copper products.
The Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (AMMC) includes the six mining enterprises, five concentrating plants, two metallurgical plants with sulfuric-acid production, the scientific and production association producing rare metals and hard alloys, the mechanical repair plant, the lime plant, the industrial railway transport department, the automobile and technological transport departments, the consumer goods production division, as well as more than twenty auxiliary workshops and laboratories.
The number of employees exceeds 35 thousand people. The company exports more than 17 types of products to 16 countries. The annual copper production is more than 148.5 tons.
The production capacity of the factory is based on the reserves of open deposits “Kalmakyr”, “Sary-Cheku”, “Yoshlik-I” and the four underground mines.
In order to expand the mineral resource base of AMMC and to re-evaluate the reserves in accordance with the JORC code standards, the British company “SRK Consulting” was engaged. Together with the services of AMMC and SRK Consulting, the estimation of mineral reserves was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international standard and a mathematical and geological model of the deposit was created. According to the results of the audit, the “Yoshlik-I” deposit was recognized as the largest in the world in terms of gold content in ore.
To date, the reserves of the AMMC (“Kalmakyr” and “Yoshlik-I”) rank at 1st place in the world in terms of the amount of gold in copper ore, 2nd place – in terms of gold content in copper ore, 3rd place – in terms of the tonnage of ore, 6th place – in terms of copper content in ore.
At present, the Concept for development of the factory till 2030 has been developed and is being implemented. Within the framework of the Concept, the works are underway to develop the “Yoshlik-I” deposit and build the Copper Concentrating Plant №3. New facilities of the metallurgical complex are also under construction.
According to the preliminary calculations, the total value of the company’s investment portfolio will be more than USD 15.0 billion. The construction of the copper concentrating plants №4 and №5 is being developed.
The implementation of the Concept will be in three stages, as a result of which the production will be achieved:
- first phase (2021-2025) – 300 thousand tons of copper cathodes, 25 tons of gold and 176 tons of silver;
- second phase (2024-2028) – 400 thousand tons of copper cathodes, 35 tons of gold and 220 tons of silver;
- third phase (2026-2030) – 500 thousand tons of copper cathodes, 50 tons of gold and 300 tons of silver.
The launch of the Copper Concentration Plant №3 (CCP-3) is scheduled for the end of 2023. The capacity of CCP-3 for processing ore will be 60 million tons of ore per year. The factory will be equipped with the advanced equipment and with full automation.
This year, Fitch Ratings agency confirmed the credit rating of AMMC at “BB-”, which means stable. In 2020, S&P Global Ratings assigned the plant a “B+” rating with a “Stable” forecast. This high rating indicates the effectiveness of the actions taken to modernize the production, the introduction of modern corporate management methods.