Kazakhmys, led by billionaire Vladimir Kim, has announced plans to halt clay extraction at the Topar Power Distribution Station and initiate reclamation efforts at the Jalayir-1 clay deposit in Kazakhstan’s Abai District, Karaganda region.
According to a statement on the planned activities, the project will begin and conclude in 2026, with a focus on rehabilitating the land affected by previous mining activities. The company holds the rights to a 13.2-hectare plot, located 3 kilometers west of the Karabas station and 7 kilometers south of the town of Abai. As of early 2023, the Jalayir-1 deposit was estimated to contain 906,000 cubic meters of clay, extracted via open-pit methods from south to north. However, Kazakhmys has not disclosed how much clay will be mined before the reclamation process starts in 2026.
In addition, Kazakhmys revealed plans to begin the extraction of 156,000 tons of construction stone at the Jalayir site in March or April 2025. The mining operations are expected to last for 220 days, with the full amount of stone to be extracted in one year.
The Topar Power Distribution Station, which is part of Kazakhmys, is primarily involved in electricity generation, distribution, and the handling of non-hazardous waste. Kazakhmys Power Projects B.V., a subsidiary of Kazakhmys, owns the station. The Kazakhmys group is largely controlled by Kazakhmys Copper, with 99.1% of the company’s shares owned by this entity. The ultimate parent company, Kazakhmys Holding Limited, is based in the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and is 70% owned by Vladimir Kim, ranked fourth on Forbes’ list of Kazakhstan’s wealthiest individuals with a net worth of $3.6 billion, while 30% is held by Eduard Ogai, who is ranked 13th with a net worth of $800 million.
