ASTANA – The 15th International Mining and Metallurgical Congress opened this week in the Kazakh capital, bringing together more than 1,300 delegates from 20 countries, reported Kazinform.
Photo credit: amm.kz
The event serves as a major platform for addressing the pressing issues facing the global mining and metallurgical industry, while showcasing Kazakhstan’s growing leadership in the sector.
Albert Rau, a member of the Kazakh Senate, noted that the congress, first held in 2010, has become the industry’s premier platform in the region. This year’s plenary session focused on issues such as trade tensions, climate change, and their impact on the global and regional mining and metallurgical complex (MMC).
The exhibition component features 50 companies from 12 countries, with 35 Kazakh firms participating—a sign of the country’s growing industrial and scientific capabilities.
Domestic production and investment on the rise
Kazakh Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharkhan. Photo credit: amm.kz
In 2024, Kazakhstan’s MMC sector contributed 8% to the country’s gross domestic product, with product output exceeding 14.3 trillion tenge (approximately US$28 billion). Investments in the MMC increased by 12%, reaching $3.6 billion, while export volumes totaled $21.4 billion.
Kazakh Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharkhan described the sector as a pillar of economic growth, citing its role in job creation, regional development, and economic diversification.
New projects to boost national output
The government is prioritizing major investment initiatives to stimulate further growth. Five large-scale investment projects, valued at over 3.5 trillion tenge (US$6.8 billion), are in the pipeline and expected to create approximately 8,000 new jobs.
Sharkhan also revealed the completion of exploration at the Kuirektykol deposit in the Karagandy Region. This world-class rare earth metals (REM) site is estimated to hold 800,000 tons of reserves, including valuable elements such as cerium and lanthanides.
He added that Kazakhstan’s first tungsten production facility will launch in 2025.
“The country is also developing technologies for heat-resistant nickel alloys, gallium, and intermetallics. Our long-term goal is to localize chemical and technological processing and manufacture components of strategic importance,” said Sharkhan.
Geological exploration expands
Kazakhstan has attracted over 420 billion tenge (US$823 million) in geological exploration, currently covering 1.9 million square kilometers, set to expand to 2.2 million by 2026.
During the congress, 387 B2B meetings are scheduled. Four memoranda are expected to be signed with Chilean company Molymet, a global leader in molybdenum production, to launch production in Kazakhstan.
A separate agreement will be signed between Eurasian Group and the Committee of Geology for the transfer of digital geological data.
Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, director of Industrial Policy at the European Commission, officially announced the inclusion of Kazakhstan’s Sarytogan graphite deposit in the EU’s list of strategic initiatives.
Located in the Karagandy Region, the project is expected to attract $62–$344 million in capital investment.
The European Commission is supporting efforts to establish offtake agreements between the Kazakh developer and European buyers, ensuring stable market access and elevating the project’s investment appeal.
The Sarytogan project is being positioned as a central pillar of the EU-Kazakhstan industrial partnership, contributing to the EU’s broader strategy to secure sustainable supplies of critical materials needed for the green and digital transitions.
Deepening international partnerships
Kazakhstan is also strengthening its ties with leading geological services abroad, including those in Finland and China.
“We’re working with the Finnish Geological Survey to improve digital geological data systems. Finland is one of the top global players in this field. They have helped develop Kazakhstan’s Unified Subsoil Use Portal, and their experience is vital in structuring and standardizing our national databases,” said the Chairman of the National Geological Service Yerlan Galiyev.
Importantly, this collaboration is being implemented with external funding, not state budget resources, he emphasized.
Kazakhstan and China are also working on a long-term project along their shared border to assess geological potential. The project is overseen by Kazakhstan’s Committee of Geology.
A special session on the sidelines of the Congress was hosted by the British Embassy’s Department of Business and Trade.
