BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13. President Shavkat
Mirziyoyev inspected operations at the new casting and rolling
complex of the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Plant in Bekabad,
highlighting the need to integrate AI into the facility's
centralized control system.
This was announced in a report published by the press service of
the Uzbek president.
According to the report, in the course of the visit, Mirziyoyev
also observed the plant's metal rolling process, which is managed
from a single control center.
''AI technologies should be incorporated into the unified
management system to further enhance the complex's stability and
economic performance,'' the report says, citing Mirziyoyev's
remarks.
Moreover, Mirziyoyev stressed the necessity of introducing AI
technologies into the unified control system and further improving
the stability and economic efficiency of the complex.
The $839 million casting and rolling complex, built on an
18-hectare site, is one of Uzbekistan's largest industrial projects
aimed at meeting the country's growing demand for steel products.
Construction began after Mirziyoyev laid the foundation stone
during a visit to Bekabad on Aug. 29, 2018.
The project is expected to increase the plant's total annual
production capacity to 2 million metric tons, including an
additional 1.04 million tons of hot-rolled sheet steel, while
expanding the workforce to 7,000 employees.
The facility incorporates technology developed by Italian
engineering company Danieli, integrating the continuous steel
casting unit with the entire production line under a single control
platform for the first time in Uzbekistan. The upgrade has reduced
the number of operators required to manage production from nine
employees working across four to five control stations to just
three specialists overseeing the process from a single control
room.
According to the press service, the complex features safety and
automation technologies not previously available in Central Asia.
Its automated roll replacement system can change key rolling
components in five to seven minutes without stopping production,
compared with 30 to 40 minutes under the previous system.
Mirziyoyev also reviewed steel products manufactured at the
facility and received a briefing on plans to develop a domestic
value chain for hot-rolled sheet steel production.
The officials additionally presented measures aimed at
regulating the circulation of reinforcing steel in Uzbekistan's
construction sector, strengthening oversight of ferrous metal
products used at construction sites, and reducing seismic risks
through improved quality control.
The Uzbekistan Metallurgical Plant has undergone extensive
modernization in recent years. According to official figures, its
net profit increased from $14 million in 2017 to $23 million in
2025, reflecting broader efforts to expand domestic industrial
production and reduce reliance on imported steel products.
