BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. Uzbekistan's
Uzmetkombinat has signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with
China's MCC CERI to advance major metallurgical and mining
projects, including the development of the Tebinbulak iron ore
deposit and the construction of a modern blast-furnace complex.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzmetkombinat
following a meeting between a delegation from Uzmetkombinat led by
Chairman of the Management Board Bahodir Abdullayev and the
leadership of MCC CERI, a major engineering company operating under
Metallurgical Corporation of China on August 9 in Beijing.
Uzbekistan's Ambassador to China Farhod Arziyev also attended the
talks.
The parties discussed several projects considered strategically
important for expanding Uzmetkombinat's production capacity and
strengthening its raw-material base. These include the development
of the Tebinbulak iron ore deposit, construction of a modern
blast-furnace metallurgical complex and development of the Temirkan
deposit.
The discussions also covered pre-project engineering, geological
exploration, the introduction of advanced technologies and the
development of modern industrial infrastructure.
"The memorandum is a strategic and historic step toward creating
new production capacities, strengthening the raw-material base and
taking Uzbekistan's metallurgical industry to a qualitatively new
level," Uzmetkombinat said.
The agreement comes as Uzbekistan's steel industry undergoes a
broad transformation aimed at attracting international expertise,
upgrading production and developing new sources of raw materials.
For Uzmetkombinat, securing access to additional iron ore resources
could help support long-term production growth while reducing
constraints associated with its raw-material base.
The Tebinbulak project is particularly significant because the
development of domestic iron ore resources could provide a
foundation for expanding downstream metallurgical production in
Uzbekistan. The planned blast-furnace complex would also represent
a major step toward increasing the country's capacity for
higher-value metal production.
MCC CERI brings nearly seven decades of engineering experience
in metallurgy, mining and heavy industry. The company specializes
in developing integrated engineering solutions and designing large
industrial facilities.
The strategic memorandum is expected to provide a framework for
moving the projects toward practical implementation, including
engineering work, geological studies and technology deployment.
