Under the grasslands, Kazakhstan is moving ore and potassium fertilizer from raw material warehouses into reaction towers. From cathode copper to urea, large-scale industrial projects have landed one after another. This resource rich country no longer only sells raw ore, but also retains added value in the local industrial chain through refining furnaces and pipelines.

Kazakhstan is constructing and preparing multiple large-scale industrial projects covering areas such as copper smelting, potassium fertilizer, urea, etc. Minister of Industry and Construction Yeltsin Nagaspaev introduced seven key projects, proposing to strengthen local raw material processing, attract investment, and create employment.

Two major copper smelting projects have landed

The KAZ Mining Copper Smelter in Abai region has started construction in October 2026 with an investment of approximately 1.8 billion US dollars. It has an annual production capacity of up to 300000 tons of cathode copper and will be put into operation in 2030. The smelting project implemented by Qazaq Smelter in the Karaganda region is planned to start construction in 2027. In addition to cathode copper, it can also produce gold and sulfuric acid, changing the situation of simply exporting raw materials.

Multi point layout in metallurgy and chemical industry

The Pavlodar hydrometallurgical plant processes gold bearing concentrates, and the supporting financing has been secured. The Zanbil Fertilizer Complex is being constructed step by step, and the sulfuric acid plant has been put into operation. The main chemical plant will be put into operation next year. The first phase of the Western Potash Project has an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tons of potassium chloride, with a significant expansion of future production capacity; Aktau will build the first large-scale urea production base in Kazakhstan, expected to be put into operation in 2030. Keywords: Kazakhstan, smelting, manufacturing industry

Expansion and acceleration of manufacturing industry

The series of projects is an important component of the manufacturing industry upgrade plan, and in the past two years, the manufacturing industry has accounted for a higher proportion of the country's GDP than the mining industry. Last year, 190 industrial projects were implemented, with plans to start 200 new projects by 2026, and approximately 600 manufacturing projects will be promoted in the future. The project continues to introduce funds and technology, expand employment opportunities, and promote the upgrading of Kazakhstan's industry.Editor/Gong Ziwei