Aghdara: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev inspected the ‘Damirli’ Ore Processing Complex, located in the village of Janyataq in the Aghdara district. Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov and President and Chief Executive Officer of Azerbaijan International Mining Company Limited Reza Vaziri briefed the head of state on the complex.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the complex includes a copper flotation plant, a wet tailings storage facility, an electrical substation, and other infrastructure. It covers a total area of 929 hectares designated for mining and production. The complex has been reconstructed using Turkish and German technologies, with private investments amounting to 15.3 million manats directed to the reconstruction and restoration works.
‘Damirli’ is the first mining industry project launched in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories. The copper flotation plant will process ore extracted from the ‘Damirli’ deposit to produce copper concentrate. The plant’s annual processing capacity is 5.6 million tons of ore. The ‘Damirli’ copper deposit, which was under Armenia’s occupation since 1993, was illegally exploited for approximately 10 years starting from May 13, 2013. During that period, 70 percent or 218,000 tons of the estimated 311,000 tons of extractable copper reserves were illegally extracted.
The initial exploitation period of the remaining reserves is planned for 2025-2030, with an export plan of 85,000 tons of copper metal in concentrate form to China, valued at 1.6 billion manats. An increase in copper reserves at the deposit is forecasted, with an estimated 470,000 tons of additional copper reserves available according to preliminary geological data. A four-year geological exploration and research program will clarify the extractable volume of these reserves.
At the initial stage, the complex has created permanent employment for 980 people, including 260 former internally displaced persons. In the coming years, the number of permanent jobs is expected to increase to 1,250, with the majority filled by local community representatives. Mining operations at the deposit are carried out by ‘Azerbaijan International Mining Company Limited’ under an agreement signed in 2024 between ‘AzerGold’ CJSC and the U.S.-based company ‘R.V. Investment Group Services’.
Comprehensive environmental protection measures have been implemented within the project framework. Baseline assessments and environmental monitoring were conducted, and an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment document was prepared. Measures such as monitoring, laboratory analyses, afforestation works, and water recycling systems are being applied to reduce emissions and protect resources. Upon completion, technical and biological reclamation of affected areas will be ensured.
The project is crucial for the sustainable development of Azerbaijan’s non-oil sector, increasing export capacity, and ensuring efficient use of resources in liberated territories. Private investment contributes to industry modernization, boosts economic activity, and creates jobs. The Azerbaijani state supports entrepreneurship in liberated territories through tax exemptions for legal entities and individuals for a period of 10 years.
President Ilham Aliyev pressed the symbolic button to initiate ore blasting.