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.
