BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Kazakhstan plans to
construct a new copper smelter in the city of Balkhash, the press
service of the Kazakh government reported.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov signed a resolution approving the
investment agreement between the Ministry of Industry and
Construction and Qazaq Smelter LLP.
The new plant will be built in the Karaganda region with total
private investment estimated at 750 billion tenge (about $1.5
billion). Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with
commissioning planned for 2030.
The facility will have an annual production capacity of 300,000
tons of cathode copper, 10 tons of gold, 300 tons of silver, and
more than 1.5 million tons of sulfuric acid.
The project is expected to create around 1,200 permanent jobs.
At the time of the plant's launch, 90% of employees, including
those in management positions, will be Kazakh specialists, with the
share set to increase to 95% within five years. The investor has
also committed to financing the education of 50 students at
educational institutions in the Karaganda region.
"The launch of the new production facilities will increase
Kazakhstan's copper output by 1.5 times, to more than 800,000 tons
per year. Exports of higher value-added products will rise from
460,000 to 760,000 tons of copper annually. The enterprise will
also be equipped with advanced technologies and digital solutions,"
the government said.
According to the government, Kazakhstan's manufacturing sector
expanded by 9.8% in the first six months of 2026, driven by growth
in machinery manufacturing, food processing, the chemical industry,
oil refining, and construction materials production. During the
same period, the country produced 232,000 tons of cathode
copper.
Cathode copper is a key raw material for manufacturing
value-added products, including electrical cables and equipment,
pipes, construction materials, automotive components, as well as
bronze, brass, and other copper alloys.
