BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Kazakhstan's
Qarmet plans to launch a new rolling mill complex with an annual
capacity of more than 540,000 tonnes by the end of 2026, according
to the presidential press service.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev inspected the construction site
during his visit to the company's steelworks in the Karaganda
region. Chinese engineering company CERI is the project's
technological partner.
Tokayev was informed that the new facility will produce
high-strength A600 and A1000-grade reinforcing steel, as well as
expand the product range to include angles, channels, and other
steel products in demand on the market.
The complex will include a high-performance heating furnace with
a capacity of up to 100 tonnes of metal per hour.
The project is expected to significantly increase Qarmet's
output of long steel products, reduce dependence on imported
products in the domestic market, and expand the company's
opportunities in the construction sector, including the
construction of nuclear power plants.
Installation of the main technological equipment and
construction of supporting infrastructure are currently underway.
The rolling mill complex is scheduled to be commissioned by the end
of 2026.
During the visit, Tokayev was also briefed on the construction
of new coke batteries No. 8 and No. 9, which are among Qarmet's
largest investment initiatives.
The project involves the construction of new coke production
facilities on a scale not seen at the steelworks for several
decades. ACRE Coking & Refractory Engineering Consulting
Corporation is the project's general technological partner.
The two batteries will have a combined design capacity of 1.5
million tonnes of dry coke per year. Each battery will comprise 54
coke ovens, with chambers measuring 7.6 meters in height.
Tokayev was informed that the new units will improve the
reliability of blast furnace operations by ensuring a stable supply
of the company's own coke, maintaining consistent coke quality, and
enhancing environmental safety.
The new batteries, which will replace outdated facilities built
in the 1960s and 1970s, are scheduled to be commissioned in 2027.
The project will also establish Kazakhstan's first coal-chemical
complex for the deep processing of coking products.
Qarmet's overall investment program amounts to $3.5 billion.
Four new projects are being implemented at the company's
steelworks: coke batteries No. 8 and No. 9, the rolling mill
complex, a galvanizing and polymer coating line, and a casting and
rolling complex.
The company's strategic goal is to increase steel production to
5 million tonnes, coal output to 9 million tonnes, and iron ore
concentrate production to 5 million tonnes by 2028, while reducing
costs and improving the environmental performance and
competitiveness of domestic steel products.
