Tajikistan builds first iron ore enrichment plant

The foundation of a plant that will process 2.5 million tons of ore per year and create thousands of jobs is laid in the Sughd region

On April 1, 2025, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon laid the foundation stone for a new ore processing plant at the Tajik Metallurgical Plant in the Bobodjon-Gafurov district of Sughd region. This will be the first such plant in the country since independence, according to a press release on the government’s website.

The plant is being built with both domestic and foreign capital. It will be equipped with modern technologies for the extraction and processing of iron ore and other minerals. Proven iron ore reserves at this deposit are estimated at 60 million tons.

Construction will take place in two phases: the first is expected to be completed by 2027 and the second by 2031. The projected capacity of the enterprise will be 2.5 million tons of ore per year, which will produce 1.1 million tons of concentrate with an iron content of 62-65%. Some of the products will be exported.

The construction site already employs 600 specialists, and after the first stage is commissioned, 1,200 permanent jobs will be created. Upon completion of the project, the plant will employ more than 2,000 people.

To ensure stable operation, the company is building the necessary infrastructure: a 220 kV power line, water supply, road and railroad lines.

As GMK Center reported earlier, global iron ore exports increased by 2% in 2024 compared to 2023, from 1.57 billion tons to 1.6 billion tons. The growth rate of supplies slowed down after +5% in 2023. Australia traditionally remains the main supplier – 866 million tons (+1.4% y/y).