Today on 31st of October 2025, Finnish company EPSE Oy (Ltd.) and its US associate company EPSE Technology Inc. have signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology (MinGeo) and Ministry of Ecology of Uzbekistan to establish the country’s first Green Zone unit. The project will be implemented as a joint venture (JV) with the Uzbek government. The Green Zone program is an important part of Uzbekistan’s green transition and supports the Uzbekistan 2030 strategy, which aims to develop sustainable industry, promote the responsible use of natural resources, and strengthen environmental protection.
PHOTO: Juhani Niirainen. Jouni Jääskeläinen, CEO of EPSE (right), and Jusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan.
EPSE’s patented technology enables the conversion of industrial water and waste into resources based on the “Waste to Value” principle: valuable and critical raw materials (CRM) and rare earth elements (REE) are recovered from waste, and treated water is recycled back for industrial use.
The first Green Zone unit will be built over the next 24 months and will start operating in 2027. The agreement also includes an option for five additional units, bringing the total value of the program to approximately €200 million.
The project will be implemented in cooperation with the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials (EU CRM) program and with the support of the Finnish government. The involvement of these actors strengthens the green partnership between the EU and Uzbekistan and ensures that the project is implemented in accordance with the highest international standards of responsibility and sanctions. In addition, the program focuses on local employment, training, and technological expertise development in Uzbekistan, which supports sustainable industrial growth and strengthens the country’s self-sufficiency in environmental technology.
“Cooperation with the Uzbek government is a significant step towards sustainable industrial change. EPSE’s technology enables waste to be converted into valuable raw materials and reusable water – a concrete example of the Waste to Value concept,” says Jouni Jääskeläinen, CEO of EPSE Oy.
“The Uzbek government is investing in green industrial development and new technologies as part of its Uzbekistan 2030 strategy. The Green Zone program supports this goal and creates new jobs, expertise, and export opportunities for our country,” says Ural Yusupov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Mining and Geology of Uzbekistan.
Inquiries:
Jouni Jääskeläinen, CEO EPSE Oy
jouni.jaaskelainen@epse.fi
+358 40 752 0530