Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine (NMMC), the world’s fourth-largest gold producer and Central Asia’s largest gold miner, has set an ambitious goal to implement 11 projects with a total value of $1 billion in 2024 under its ongoing Investment Program.

The program, designed to boost gold production, highlights NMMC’s commitment to growth and innovation in the industry. In the first half of 2024, $363.5 million has already been allocated for these initiatives, with work on all projects currently in progress.

One of the key projects, entitled “Ore Mining at Gold Deposits Kokpatas and Daugyztau (Phase III)” reached an important milestone this week with the launch of a new, seventh mill at Hydrometallurgical Plant No. 3 (HMP-3), boosting the facility’s gold-bearing ore processing capacity by 13%, from 8 Mt to 9 Mt per year.

The project, including the new mill, has a total cost of $281.1 million. Future plans include the expansion of flotation, bio-oxidation, filtration, drying, and roasting workshops, which will further increase production volumes.

Coupled with the launch of the new unit, these measures will increase annual ore processing capacity to 10 Mt by the end of the year. Equipment and spare parts for the new milling block were manufactured locally at the Company’s Navoi Machine-Building Plant and Northern Mining Administration divisions. Construction work was carried out by the Zarafshan Construction Administration. NMMC said this approach demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting local industries while also ensuring efficiency and timely project completion.

JSC NMMC is the largest gold producer in Central Asia and the fourth-largest gold producer in the world. The company mines, refines, and sells precious metals, primarily refined gold (99% of output). Its facilities are located in the Navoi, Samarkand, and Jizzakh regions of Uzbekistan. NMMC has 12 major mining sites, 7 hydrometallurgical plants, and 2 heap leaching workshops. Muruntau-Myutenbai is the largest open-pit gold mine in the world with a 101 Moz resource base. NMMC’s total mineral resources are estimated at 148 Moz of gold.