The Uzbek Technological Metals Plant and the Solvomet Research Group of KU Leuven University signed a cooperation agreement during the EU Raw Materials Week in Brussels to introduce European hydrometallurgical technologies in Uzbekistan, Gazeta.uz reports.
“These technologies will be implemented to expand the production of rhenium salts and extract additional rare and rare-earth elements,” the plant’s statement said.
The company emphasized that this will be an important step toward strengthening technological autonomy and deepening the processing of critical minerals.
KU Leuven is one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious universities, founded in 1425. The Solvomet laboratory is considered a global leader in hydrometallurgy and the development of innovative industrial technologies.
In 2021, Uzbekistan completed years-long research and mastered the technology of producing metallic rhenium with a purity of 99.9%. This rare-earth metal was obtained from ammonium perrhenate through hydrogen reduction. In June 2025, the Technological Metals Plant began exporting metallic rhenium to EU countries.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 26, 2025