In Balhash, a unique facility for the production of raw selenium by “Kazakhmys Progress” has been inaugurated. For Kazakhstani science, this marks a significant celebration as it signifies trust in domestic science and innovation within the production sector. This event marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of innovative manufacturing in our country. It’s the world’s first and only production facility utilizing a technology capable of producing highly pure refined selenium, addressing both domestic and international demands. Selenium is a rare material in high demand across global metal markets, difficult to extract and even more challenging to refine. The uniqueness of this technology lies in its ability to obtain pure selenium with over 99.5% purity of its main component in a single cost-effective, non-reagent process. Consequently, the cost of domestically produced pure selenium is expected to be significantly lower than its foreign counterparts. This groundbreaking method for producing marochno selenium was developed by scientists at Satbayev University’s Institute of Metallurgy and Enrichment, with the participation of Russian scientist and professor of technical sciences, Sergey Nekhamin. The projected annual processing capacity is 75 tons of raw selenium. The first batch of metal has already been acquired.
“Kazakhmys Progress” is a Kazakh company dedicated to developing and implementing innovative metallurgical technologies. The new production represents a modern industrial platform incorporating world-standard technological innovations. The project encompasses two independent technologies: vacuum thermal refining of raw selenium, first introduced within the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the second technology involves reprocessing slag from the non-ferrous metal workshop through a method of reductive smelting,” noted Nurakhmet Nuriev, Chairman of the Board of “Kazakhmys Corporation.” As such, the vacuum distillation technology for selenium production enables the manufacture of metal not only from traditional raw materials but also utilizes technogenic waste, thereby increasing production efficiency, positively impacting the environment, generating new job opportunities, and opening new possibilities for the region and the entire country. “Kazakhmys Progress” is a Kazakh company engaged in the development and integration of innovative metallurgical technologies. The launch of this new and modern production epitomizes the integration of science and production, aligning seamlessly with the priorities outlined by the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his address to the people of Kazakhstan. This initiative will pave the way for the expansion of modern high-tech industries, the achievement of the fifth and sixth levels of technological advancements, and positioning as a vanguard in the process of national economic modernization.
