Tokayev: construction of Aktogay copper smelter begins, 300,000 tonnes a year to put Kazakhstan in world top 10 of refined copper

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced on October 20 that construction of the Aktogay copper smelter has begun in the Abai region. According to the Akorda press service, the plant will produce 300,000 tonnes of cathode copper a year, fully covering domestic demand.

Tokayev said that once it is running, Kazakhstan will join the world's top 10 producers of high-grade refined copper. Besides copper, the facility will produce gold and sulphuric acid.

The president noted that Kazakhstan has more than 9,500 mineral deposits, extracts about 160 million tonnes of ore and produces around 3.5 million tonnes of copper concentrate a year. Manufacturing output reached $60 billion last year, and over the past three years 540 industrial projects launched across all regions have created nearly 50,000 permanent jobs.