Almalyk Mining and Metallurgy Combine (AGMK) plans to commission this complex, located in Kashkadrya region of Uzbekistan, in 2010. The project cost is US$147 million.

Earlier, AGMK planned to commission ore mining and processing plant in the fourth quarter of 2009, but now it is planned to launch it in the first quarter of 2010.

The enterprise will consist of concentrating mill with capacity of 650,000 tonnes of ore a year and underground mine in the field of Khandiza in Kashkadarya region.

Production capacity of concentrating mill will be up to 5,000 of cooper concentrate, 60,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate and 20,000 tonnes of leaden concentrate annually.

Switzeland’s Zeromax GmbH is general contractor of the project and it started construction of the complex in 2007.

The project is financed due to loan of Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan for US$60.9 million, loan of Uzbek banks for US$40 million and own funds of AGMK - US$46.5 million.

Almalik Mining and Metallurgy Combine OJSC is the largest cooper producer in Central Asia and has a right to develop fields of cooper-molybdenum and leaden-zinc ores in Tashkent region. The enterprise produces refined cooper (cathodes), including deliveries of cooper concentrate on tolling basis and from scrap processing, metallic zinc, leaden concentrate and other products.