New capacities on production of marble and granite plates, Gazalkent Granit, will be created on the base of bankrupt Uzbek-Dutch-Italian joint venture Cast in Tashkent region. The capacity of the enterprise will be 40,000 square meters of marble and granite plates a year. The project with the cost of US$400,000, will be completed at the end of 2013. The enterprise will process and produce facing granite plates of various sizes from natural stone from Oksok-ota, Sevasay, Miskinsay and Belyauta fields.

Cast has been in difficult financial situation since 2005 and it had debt for 1.897 billion soums before Ipoteka Bank. The case of Cast had been considered at Tashkent regional economic court and the bank won it.

On the base of bankrupt enterprise Zarland Industriya in Navoi region, Navoi Granit LLC has been created, which will produce marble and granite plates. Former owner of the plan Langar-UzRos JV did not fulfill its investment obligations. In line with the programme on industrial development till 2015, the capacity of the plant will be increased to 48,000 square meters of marble and granite plates a year.

Total investments of Uzstroymaterially will invest about US$500,000 to this project in next three years. The products of enterprise, which was founded with Zarafshan Construction Department, are highly demanded in Uzbekistan and abroad. The enterprise produced over 35,000 square meters of granite blocks and plates in 2010. The plant sold granite plates for 300,000 euros to the CIS states. The enterprise mines stones from Langar, Kuksaray and Nurata fields with help of foreign technologies.

In Bukhara, Bukhoro Lyuks Marmar LLC will be founded on the base of Afruz Marmar in Bukhara region. In line with preliminary feasibility study, the capacity of the plant will make up 24,000 square meters a year. Forecasted cost of the project is US$200,000. For last six months, the investments for 100 million soums were invested to technological modernization of the enterprise. The necessary raw materials reserve has been created.

According to Uzstroymaterially, Uzbekistan holds the second place among the CIS on reserves of natural stones. Gazgan marble, especially white one, is popular worldwide. Main reserves of Gazgan marble are located in Samarkand and Kashkadarya region.

Potential capacity of local marble mines will allow annually produce up to 190,000 cubic meters of marble a year. Currently, six large marble fields are under development in Uzbekistan – Gazgan and Nurata (Navoi region), Zarband (Samarkand region), Savuq Bulaq and Tomchi Ota (Kashkadarya region) and Oksok-ota (Tashkent region).

Gazgan field in Navoi region is the largest in Uzbekistan. Its total reserves evaluated at 7.576 million cubic meters. According to assessments of specialists, Gazgan marble has over 30 colors and shades, which meets high international standards.

Earlier Uzbek mass media reported that elite Uzbek marble will be used at majority of sporting objects of 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. The correspondent agreement has been inked between Russian state company Olimpstroy and Uzstroymaterialli in September 2008. The Uzbek company said that Uzbekistan plans to deliver colorfull and high-quality Gazgan marble, produced in Navoi region.

Shavkat Rakhmatov, chairperson of Gazganmramor, said that the sides signed agreement on marble supply for US$10 million.