Kazakhstan is preparing to partially develop the Sarykum anthracite coal deposit located near the city of Balkhash in the Karaganda region, according to a mine closure and rehabilitation plan related to operations at the site.
The project documentation indicates that high-quality anthracite from the deposit is expected to be supplied primarily to ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy industries. Additional industrial applications may include the production of absorbents, electrodes, electrocorundum and carbon powders. Lower-grade coal that does not meet anthracite specifications is planned to be used for municipal heating and domestic consumption in Balkhash and nearby settlements in the Aktogay district.
Anthracite is relatively rare in Kazakhstan and is valued for its high calorific value and heat output. Although it has a high energy content, the fuel is more difficult to ignite compared with other coal types. Historically, limited anthracite production in Kazakhstan occurred at the Zhamantuz deposit in Pavlodar region, where reserves were small.
Globally, the largest anthracite reserves are concentrated in Russia and China. Russia accounted for nearly all of China’s anthracite imports in 2025, reflecting strong demand and high margins for this coal type.
Unlike many anthracite deposits that are mined underground due to their depth, extraction at Sarykum is planned through open-pit mining, likely due to the geological structure of the deposit.
According to project documentation prepared for Alfa Plast LLP, average ash content in Sarykum coal exceeds 42 percent, though the material may be beneficiated and processed into concentrate.
The mine development plan covering the period until 2050 предусматривает extraction of approximately 20.01 million tonnes of coal from total reserves estimated at 170.63 million tonnes as of January 1, 2025. Following this period of production, the project foresees conservation of the open pit.
Production capacity at the mine is expected to gradually increase from about 10,000 tonnes per year in the early stage to 1 million tonnes annually by 2035. Output at this level is planned to continue until 2048, after which production will decline to around 500,000 tonnes by 2050.
The Sarykum deposit was previously the subject of a legal dispute between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Sarykum Group LLP over alleged violations of subsoil use obligations, with authorities at one point considering placing the asset up for auction.
