Mining and metallurgy industry
The Head of the Aktobe region signed Memorandums of Understanding with a group of foreign investors, including the Eurasian Resource Group (ERG), as well as business representatives from Türkiye, Germany, Lithuania and other countries. The MoUs outline the intentions of investors to allocate a total of 2.7 trillion Kazakh tenge ($5.7 billion) for the region’s mining sector.
The most significant 4 projects will be carried out by the ERG, which will be completed by 2025. ERG will commission the second stage of the “10th Anniversary of Independence of Kazakhstan” mine, which will create up to 1,000 jobs. Upon the completion of the project, chrome ore output will reach 7.5 million tons per annum.
In 2023, a factory for processing stale and current chromium-containing sludge with the production of chromium-containing concentrate will be put into operation in the region. The project will create 270 permanent workplaces.
Kazakhstan will also implement the construction of new plants on the territory of the Saran Industrial zone in the Karaganda region in 2023. Director of the Saran industrial zone management department director Zhaksylyk Akhmetbekov said that active work on attracting investors to the Saran industrial zone is underway.
“The Regional Coordination Committee approved three new projects. The projects are on the construction of a plant for the production of galvanized coiled steel with polymer coating, the production of steel longitudinal electric-welded pipes and a hot-dip galvanizing plant. These projects are high-tech, where modern achievements will be applied in the metallurgical industry. All products planned for manufacturing are focused on import substitution and export,” he said.
According to Akhmetbekov, land plots have been provided for the construction of production facilities.
Renewable energy projects
Kazakhstan has launched several projects aimed at developing the “green energy” industry.
For example, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan launched the construction of a joint solar power production enterprise on Issyk Kul lake, worth around $35 million. In total, the parties plan to build several solar stations in Kyrgyzstan with a total capacity of 300 MW.
The agreement on the construction of a solar plant was signed between Kazakhstan’s “TGS-Energy” investment company and TazaEnergy, a subsidiary of Kyrgyz “National Energy Holding Company” OJSC. Some 80 ha of land in the Toru-Aygyr village will be allocated for the project. The sides plan to complete the construction by December 2023. The solar plant is expected to remain in service for 25 years and will supply around 90 million kW/hour per annum.
A 153 MW “Chromtau-1” wind power plant will also be constructed and commissioned in the framework of the MoU signed between various investors and the Aktobe region.
The implementation of the project will reduce the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere will be reduced by 520,000 tons per year. It is estimated that the construction phase will be launched in 2023.
Another potential major project is the Shokpar Wind Power Station in the Sarysu district of the Zhambyl region. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is already considering allocating a loan of $50 million for the development, construction, and operation of a wind power plant with an installed capacity of 100MW. The London-based bank is expected to announce its decision on January 25, 2023.
Other important accomplishments
Overall, From January through September 2022 industrial manufacturing in Kazakhstan increased by 2.1 per cent compared to the reporting period of 2021.
Manufacturing of copper ore amounted to 99.8 million tons, which is 8.5 percent more compared to the reporting months of 2021. Manufacturing of petrol amounted to 3.7 million tons (an increase of 5.7 percent compared to the same period in 2021).
Manufacturing of Portland cement stood at 9.7 million tons, which is 0.4 percent more than during the same period in 2021. Manufacturing of metal constructions was 58,000 tons (a decrease by 8.1 percent), of electricity to 83.2 billion kWh (a decrease by 1.2 per cent).
The value of products manufactured in Kazakhstan stood at 35.9 trillion tenge ($75.3 billion) over nine months of 2022, of which 18.8 trillion tenge ($39.4 billion) accounted for the mining industry and 15.2 trillion tenge ($31.9 billion) for manufacturing.
The industrial enterprises of the capital city Astana alone, from January through November 2022, produced goods worth 1.7 trillion Kazakh tenge (around $3.6 billion) while manufacturing industry production accounted for 1.5 trillion Kazakh tenge (nearly $3.2 billion).
Compared to 11M2021, this constitutes a 414.9 billion Kazakh tenge ($884.4 million) increase, which is an equivalent of 73.1 percent.