Kazakhstan will begin developing three new copper deposits — Aidarly, Koksay, and Benkala — aiming to double its copper ore production to 300 million tonnes within the next five years, according to Deputy Minister of Industry and Construction Olzhas Saparbekov.
The announcement came during a government meeting focused on boosting the country’s mineral output. In addition to the copper plans, Saparbekov said iron ore extraction is also expected to rise by 40% by 2030, reaching 52 million tonnes annually. This increase will support the expansion of Qarmet’s processing facilities and the launch of new hot-briquetted iron (HBI) production plants.
Looking ahead to 2025, the government anticipates a twofold increase in copper refining, along with a more than twofold rise in lead production, a 50% increase in aluminium output, and an 11% boost in zinc production.
To sustain this growth, Kazakhstan will allocate at least 30 billion tenge toward geological exploration next year. The funding will come from subscription bonuses collected through mineral rights auctions.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov noted that revenues from these bonuses are expected to increase as the government refines its calculation methodology to optimise income from the mining sector.
