Uzbekistan plans over 350 chemical industry projects costing $17 bln
TASHKENT. June 2 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting on the tasks for the accelerated development of the chemical industry on June 2 and asked officials to draft a program to deliver more than 350 projects worth $17 billion.
It was mentioned at the meeting that the sector still has significant untapped potential. Over the past nine years, industrial output nationwide has grown by an average of 6.3% annually, while growth in the chemical industry has remained below 3%. Imports of chemical products have quadrupled to $4.5 billion per year.
Particular attention was paid to restructuring production, increasing value-added output, and reducing energy costs.
The country produces 1.5 million tonnes of ammonium nitrate annually, consuming 1.07 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Meanwhile, developed countries are reducing the use of ammonium nitrate, shifting to urea and water-soluble fertilizers in agriculture and to porous prill ammonium nitrate in the mining industry. The production of porous prill ammonium nitrate, which has the same production cost as conventional ammonium nitrate, doubles value-added output, the meeting heard.
Officials were instructed to begin implementing 10 low-tonnage chemical projects with a total value of $1 billion in the cluster area near Navoiazot.
Officials were also asked to draft and begin implementing a three-year program aimed at doubling reserves of key raw materials required by the chemical industry, including phosphorite, halite, mirabilite, and serpentinite. In the field of serpentinite processing, the task was set to launch projects worth at least $200 million.
The southwest of the country hosts 550 million tonnes of sodium and potassium reserves, as well as 20 million tonnes of bentonite. Through deep processing of these resources and the production of caustic soda, value-added output can be tripled.
The identified reserves of serpentinite in Jizzakh region and Karakalpakstan will create opportunities for the production of nickel, chromium, and cobalt, which are important raw materials for the electrical engineering industry.
The country imports household chemical products worth $300 million annually, while the regional market for these products is estimated at $2 billion.
To expand such projects, dedicated sites will be allocated in one of the capital's industrial zones for initiatives in the household chemicals sector. A total of $50 million will be allocated for this purpose, with the condition that the commissioned enterprises, together with their brands, will subsequently be sold to the private sector as ready-made profitable businesses.
For similar projects in other regions, $15 million will be allocated from the Industrial Cooperation Fund.
Global demand for mineral fertilizers is growing by 5% annually and is expected to exceed $260 billion by 2030. Uzbekistan plans to implement 42 projects worth a total of $2.8 billion over the next three years.
Through these projects, annual production of nitrogen fertilizers is expected to increase from 2.8 million tonnes to 4 million tonnes, phosphate fertilizers from 400,000 tonnes to 900,000 tonnes, and water-soluble fertilizers from 100,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes by 2030.
A decision was made to create a comprehensive system in the chemical industry covering education, scientific research, laboratories, and startups. Large-scale projects in the production of water-soluble fertilizers, polymers, household chemicals, and inorganic chemicals will increase demand for specialists in such advanced fields as nanochemistry, green chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and AI-based chemical modeling.
Mirziyoyev said that achieving these ambitious goals requires managing the industry based on modern, science-based approaches.
