ASTANA – Kazakhstan will become the world’s second-largest producer of gallium after Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) signed a long-term supply agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd. during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to Japan, reported the ERG’s press service on Dec. 20.
Tadashi Omatoi, President, Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd and Shukhrat Ibragimov, ERG’s CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Photo credit: ERG’s press service
The project is one of ERG’s key initiatives focused on critical minerals. More than $20 million will be invested in building a gallium production facility, which is expected to create around 70 jobs. The plant will have an annual output capacity of 15 metric tons, with production scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026.
ERG Chairman and CEO Shukhrat Ibragimov said gallium plays a vital role in modern technologies, particularly in electronics.
“Launching gallium production and supplying it to Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd. will show that by developing domestic operations, we can turn strategic resources into competitive products and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position in high-tech materials markets,” Ibragimov said.
Gallium will be extracted from process solutions at the Pavlodar Aluminium Plant using proprietary technology developed by ERG’s research and development team. The technology is designed to improve alumina quality, reduce production losses, and recover gallium from extremely low-grade sources, producing a high-purity, strategically important metal.
