Vostok Trade has announced plans to establish a lead and copper production plant in Shymkent. The plant’s projected capacity is 30,000 tons of soft lead annually, with a shaft furnace capable of processing 285 tons per day across a 25-day monthly operating cycle. Lead production is expected to reach 2,500 tons of crude lead each month, with copper cake and zinc product as by-products.
The crude lead produced will have a lead content of 85-95%, while the copper cake will contain 60-70% copper and the zinc product up to 50-60% zinc. The facility will operate its main production processes 25 days a month, with auxiliary services running five days per week. 300 employees will staff the plant.
Located within the Zhuldyz industrial zone in Enbekshinsky district, the site is 1.3 km from Shymkent’s oil refinery. The main production building will measure 146 meters in length, 73 meters in width, and up to 14 meters in height. It will house a shaft furnace, raw material storage, a boiler room, settling tank, and finished product warehouse. Primary raw materials include cakes, dust, and sludge rich in lead, copper, and zinc. Materials will be delivered by open railcarsand stored in warehouses with a 1,000-ton capacity.
Construction is expected to start in Q1 2025, with operations launching by Q3 2025. Estimated annual emissions during operations include 21.4 tons of carbon monoxide, 1.27 tons of nitrogen oxide, 2.9 tons of polymetallic dust, and 0.12 tons of iron, among other emissions.
Vostok Trade is registered at the Astana International Financial Center and is involved in metal recycling and other legal activities. The company’s co-owners include Daulet Imankulov, Kuat Amanzholov, Imam-Zada Maulenov, Daniyar Bektibaev, Serik Turdaliev, Tahirzhan Baratov, and Kalykul Makhambetov.
