Tajikistan's mines to gain from race for minerals

In a labyrinth of tunnels running beneath 4,000-metre peaks, Tajik miners are scrabbling to secure antimony, one of the metals at the centre of a worldwide race for rare minerals.

- Bruno Kalouaz, Agence France-Presse

The silver grey element, once best known as an ingredient in cosmetics, is a key resource in strategic industries — powering the clean energy transition and toughening military equipment. In Saritag, in the steep valleys of western Tajikistan, the 1,500 employees of mining firm Talco Gold scour some 50 kilometres (30 miles) of underground galleries.

Where once Tajiks sought gold, now they are branching out. “We are conducting drilling operations to determine what underground mineral resources are present,” explained miner Imomkhasan Yorov, guiding AFP on a rare visit to the huge, remote site. The miners drill sample holes 50 metres (165 feet) long to check for minerals and can dig a 54-metre tunnel for extraction in half a day, said underground site manager Kholmakhmad Khakimzoda.

Once extracted, the antimony will find its way into the batteries and solar panels of the renewable energy industry or reinforce the armour protecting military vehicles on future battlefields. It is just one of the metals and rare earths that have triggered a rush of interest in mineral deposits across Central Asia, from the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to the deserts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.