TELF AG discusses into the mineral wealth of Central Asian nations  

The importance of geological resources in the global development process 

The new centrality of mineral resources, fueled by the need to promote economic development and achieve the sustainable goals of nations, is allowing numerous countries and entire regional blocks to gain a certain prominence at a global level, becoming leading players precisely by virtue of their geological wealth and the mineral raw materials that they are able to introduce onto the global market. One of these regions is Central Asia, nestled in the heart of Eurasia, an area of ​​extreme social and cultural interest that, over the last few decades, has had the opportunity to draw the world’s attention also for its vast reserves of strategic minerals and metals, including some of those most difficult to find globally. 

To appreciate the mineral wealth of this region – which includes countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, but also Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – it will be enough to cite some data: in fact, this area contains 30.7% of global reserves of chrome, 20% of those of lead and approximately 38% of those of manganese. The region also has large availability of other precious resources such as zinc, and its strategic importance in the mining sector therefore appears to be constantly increasing. 

It is no coincidence that the strategic role of these resources was recently underlined by the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who spoke extensively of critical minerals and their role of great importance in determining the future prosperity of nations. The mineral resources of this region, over the last few years, have represented one of the main objects of commercial and strategic agreements with some of the main global players, including the United States and China. 

The latter, now more than 10 years ago, chose Kazakhstan to launch the Belt and Road Initiative, and over time the collaboration with the five Central Asian nations has increasingly focused on mineral raw materials, especially useful for the development of industrial sectors related to technology and electronics. 

Rare metals 

One of the most interesting aspects, regarding the geological richness of Central Asia, has to do with the presence, in the subsoil of these regions, of significant quantities of rare metals and rare earth elements, to which a large number of industrial applications are linked. Among these we remember monazite, an important source of rare earths (used mostly in permanent magnets and catalysts, but also in battery alloys). In these areas, reserves of zircon have also been found (especially appreciated for its resistance to high temperatures and corrosion) and xenotime, an important source of yttrium and other rare earth elements. Another important resource available in this area of ​​the world is pyrochlore, from which niobium (used in semiconductors and high-strength alloys) can be obtained, and allanite, which in turn contains yttrium. 

A few months ago, the first summit between the United States and the countries of Central Asia laid the foundations for a fruitful mutual cooperation based on the continuous development of these resources and the creation of a platform for dialogue focused on the challenges and opportunities related to these resources.