Farmanov said the company started starting-up and adjustment processes and the complex will be completed in June-July. He said the complex will process 650,000 tonnes of ore a year at the base of Khandiza deposit in Kashkadarya region.

The production capacity of the complex is 5,000 tonnes of copper concentrate, 20,000 tonnes of lead concentrate and 60,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate annually. The enterprise will reach its full capacity at the end of 2011.

Earlier, it is planned to commission the complex at the end of 2009, but financial issues pushed the company to postpone launch. Swiss Zeromax GmbH is general contractor of the project.

The project implementation will allow to increase load of lead capacity by 50% with own resources. Currently, the lead capacity is 125,000 tonnes and works on tolling scheme.

AGMK issued US$46.5 million to project implementation. Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan allocated US$60 million and local banks – US$40 million.

Reserves of deposit on JORC makes up 14.4 million tonnes of ore with content of 134 g per tonne of silver, 7.24 g per tonne of zinc, 3.5 g per tonne of lead, 0.86 g per tonne of copper and 0.38 g per tonne of gold. The ore also contains selenium, cadmium and indium.