Chemical industry and ferrous metallurgy

The history of the country’s chemical industry is counted from 1932, the year sulphur mining began at Shorsu. Mineral fertilizer output has a large place; the industry also makes pesticides, plastics, chemical fibre, rubber, and paints and varnishes. Raw materials are varied: natural gas and oil, phosphorite, sulphur, salts, limestone, waste from non-ferrous metallurgy and waste from cotton and farming. The chemical industry supplies other branches with raw material and takes energy and equipment from them, so the links run both ways. Big centres: Chirchiq (electrochemical combine, started 1940), Fergana and Navoi (nitrogen fertilizer and chemical fibre), Kokand and Samarkand (superphosphate), Almalyk (ammophos), Mubarak and Shurtan (gas and gas chemistry), Kungrad (soda), Dehkanabad (potash fertilizer). Chemical plants use much energy and water and may harm nature, so siting is done carefully and treatment facilities are used. Making fibre and plastics from gas raw material is efficient.