ASTANA – Metallurgical ore production in Kazakhstan grew by 7.8%, while metal production increased by 6.9%, said Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Olzhas Saparbekov, during the government meeting on July 22.
Photo credit: erg.kz
By 2025, the country aims to double copper processing, increase aluminum processing by 50%, increase zinc production by 11%, and more than double lead processing.
The government also prioritizes the development of related industries and the production of high-value-added products.
“Measures to provide domestic manufacturers with basic metals help to keep existing enterprises producing medium and high value-added products busy. Production of wire rod, cable and wire products, batteries, window profiles, furniture fittings, and other goods is increasing. New projects have also been launched for the production of bimetallic heating radiators, industrial batteries, and brass products,” said Saparbekov.
Overall, the mining and metallurgical complex accounts for 8% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with production exceeding 14 trillion tenge (US$26 billion) and employing around 224,000 people. In 2024, more than 1.7 trillion tenge (US$3 billion) was invested in the metallurgical industry. Labor productivity in the sector grew by 9.4%, reaching $102,000 per employee.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stated that the government will allocate an additional 30 billion tenge (approximately US$56 million) for geo-exploration this year. He also said that Kazakhstan is taking measures to attract investment in high-value-added projects.
“More than 220,000 Kazakh citizens work in the country’s mining and metallurgical complex, and a significant number of people are involved in related industries. These are small and medium-sized businesses, which are more flexible, innovative, and focused on the end consumer. Therefore, incentives are needed to develop these industries,” said Bektenov.
Digitalization of metallurgy industry
The industry is being digitalized through automation, big data, and AI, making the mining sector more agile, efficient, transparent, and sustainable.
Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev reported that this year, 15 public services in the mining sector were made available to citizens and organizations, 14 of which were accessible online.
Overall, 979 million services were provided during the year, of which 919 million were provided electronically, accounting for 87.6% of the total.
The most in-demand public services included licenses for mining and chemical operations, permits for processing goods within or outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) customs territory, and issuance or renewal of geological or mining allotments.
