BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 20. Kazakh President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has launched a $1.8 billion copper smelter
project in Aktogay, Abai region, according to the Kazakh
presidential press service.


Addressing participants in the ceremony via video link, Tokayev
described the project as one of the major industrial initiatives
expected to give fresh impetus to Kazakhstan's economic
development.


The plant, being developed by KAZ Minerals Group with China's
NFC as engineering partner, will have an annual capacity of 300,000
tons of cathode copper. The first copper cathode is scheduled to be
produced in 2030, and the project is expected to create more than
1,000 jobs.


"Today we are embarking on another major industrial project.
This important event will provide additional impetus to the
development of our economy. The new enterprise will have a capacity
of 300,000 tons of cathode copper per year. This will fully meet
the needs of the domestic market," Tokayev said.


He said that once the plant is commissioned, Kazakhstan would
enter the world's top 10 producers of high-quality refined copper.
The facility will also produce metallic gold, silver, sulfuric acid
and other by-products.







Tokayev said Kazakhstan, which has substantial mineral reserves,
should make efficient use of its natural resources. The country has
more than 9,500 deposits, while about 160 million tons of ore are
mined and around 3.5 million tons of copper concentrate are
produced annually, he said.


The president also noted growth in the country's manufacturing
sector. Output reached $60 billion last year, while 540 industrial
projects were implemented across Kazakhstan over the past three
years, creating around 50,000 permanent jobs, according to his
remarks.


Tokayev called for wider adoption of digital technologies and
artificial intelligence in industry, saying advanced solutions can
increase productivity, improve workplace safety and help prevent
industrial accidents.


The project envisages a production chain from ore mining and
processing to finished metal production. The complex will process
its own copper concentrate, supporting the stability of its raw
material supply and increasing the value added to products
manufactured in Kazakhstan.