More than 160 thousand tons of copper concentrate have been transferred to the copper smelter. This is stated in a message from the plant's information service, published on yuz.uz.

The essence in brief

• From March 16 to November 4, MOF-3 processed 10 million tons of ore and produced more than 160 thousand tons of copper concentrate.
• Of 12 mills, 10 are operating; the rest are undergoing adjustment and testing.
• Design capacity is 60 million tons of ore per year and about 900 thousand tons of concentrate; the message does not specify timelines for reaching it.
• Monthly volume grew from 661.5 thousand tons in March to more than 1.6 million tons in October.

What was reported

The plant's management reported the result to the Chairman of the Management Board of AGMK, Abdulla Khursanov. The plant was launched on March 16, 2026: the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, pressed a symbolic button. This is one of the main facilities for developing the "Yoshlik-1" deposit; the project cost is estimated at $2.7 billion. In the message, the plant is described as an enterprise that is only just beginning its journey, and the result of 10 million tons is "a significant outcome, but not the finish line."

How processing grew

In March, the plant processed 661.5 thousand tons of ore, in June - 1.16 million tons, in October - more than 1.6 million tons. The October figure is almost 2.5 times higher than the March one. Flotation lines and ball mills in the grinding shop are being commissioned in stages.

What remains to reach design capacity

At full capacity, the plant should process up to 60 million tons of ore per year and produce about 900 thousand tons of copper concentrate. Of 12 mills, 10 have been commissioned; two more are still undergoing adjustment and testing. Mirziyoyev instructed that all technological chains of MOF-3 be commissioned by the end of the year, but the message does not name dates for reaching design capacity. The figures in it belong to the plant itself and have not been independently verified.

What is happening with copper in Kazakhstan

In 2025, Kazakhstan mined 163.7 million tons of copper ore and produced 471.8 thousand tons of refined copper, meaning mining grew faster than processing. Processing is being expanded: in the Abai region, construction has begun on the Aktogay copper smelter with a capacity of 300 thousand tons of cathode copper per year; the first cathode is planned for 2030. The company "Capital Stroy V" plans to build an processing plant at the Zhuantobe deposit in the Pavlodar region with a capacity of up to 500 thousand tons of ore per year.

The market, meanwhile, is challenging. Copper is holding near record levels, above $14,000 per ton, while Tokayev has questioned whether the products of new metallurgical plants will be in demand. British Central Asia Metals, which extracts copper from the Konirat tailings, is searching for new reserves so as not to depend on a single mine.

Author's conclusion

The mills have become the main indicator of the launch: ten of twelve are operating, and how quickly the plant approaches its design capacity of 60 million tons per year depends on the two remaining ones. So far, growth is visible in monthly figures rather than in timelines: the message does not name a deadline.