BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. Uzbekistan's Uzmetkombinat and China's NORINCO have discussed a broad portfolio of mining, metallurgy, energy and transport projects as the Uzbek steelmaker seeks to strengthen its raw-material base and expand industrial capacity.
This was reflected in the statement by the Uzmetkombinat following a meeting between a delegation from Uzmetkombinat led by Chairman of the Management Board Bahodir Abdullaev and the management of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) in Beijing.
The discussions focused on several projects considered important to Uzmetkombinat's long-term development strategy, including the development of prospective mineral deposits, deeper processing of raw materials and the introduction of advanced industrial technologies.
One of the key areas of cooperation was the processing of waste from Uzmetkombinat's No. 2 metallurgical processing facility. The sides examined ways to recover valuable components from existing industrial waste, introduce secondary raw materials into production and apply modern technologies to improve resource efficiency.
The parties also discussed plans for a new blast-furnace production complex. The project could involve advanced engineering solutions and high-efficiency technologies to process domestic raw materials more deeply and produce higher-value-added metal products.
"The talks with NORINCO create an important foundation for long-term strategic cooperation covering the development of the raw-material base, new metallurgical capacity, energy and transport infrastructure," Uzmetkombinat said.
The agenda extended beyond metallurgy to energy and logistics. The parties considered options for providing new production facilities with reliable power, deploying modern energy solutions and expanding transport and logistics capacity to improve the movement of raw materials and finished products.
The broader scope of the discussions reflects Uzmetkombinat's efforts to build a more integrated industrial chain, from mineral extraction and processing to finished metallurgical products. Such integration could help the company improve resource security, increase domestic value addition and support the expansion of production capacity.
NORINCO is a major Chinese industrial corporation with activities spanning mining and mineral resources, oil and gas, energy, engineering, transportation infrastructure and industrial investment. China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, associated with NORINCO, ranked 226th on the 2025 Fortune Global 500 list, underscoring the scale of its international operations.
For Uzbekistan, deeper cooperation with a large Chinese industrial group could provide access to engineering expertise, technology and financing opportunities needed to modernize its metallurgical sector.
The discussions therefore point to a broader strategy than individual projects, potentially laying the groundwork for an integrated industrial chain and strengthening Uzmetkombinat's competitiveness in international metallurgical markets.
