Instead of stockpiling metallurgical waste by the ton, the Akmola Region has begun extracting profit from it while caring for the environment: a unique processing complex has started operations there, infohub.kz reports.
In Zerendinsky District, a modern complex of the limited liability partnership Open Minerals Group Processing was officially launched. The new enterprise will process lead-containing raw materials and by-products from copper smelting, turning them into high-value-added products in demand.
For the local economy, the plant's arrival means moving away from a simple raw-materials orientation toward technologically advanced processing. The enterprise receives 2,000 to 3,000 tons of raw materials monthly, producing lead cake and cementation copper. These products do not sit in warehouses but are immediately integrated into domestic metallurgy chains: the complex's partners include industry giants such as Kazakhmys Corporation and Kazzinc. The project has attracted 7.4 billion tenge in investment. Tax payments to the budget have already amounted to about 22 million tenge.
"The introduction of modern raw material processing technologies is of particular importance. If the stipulated technological requirements and environmental standards are met, such solutions make it possible to increase the efficiency of mineral resource use and reduce the volume of waste sent for further storage. Environmental safety of production, emission control and rational management of industrial waste remain important conditions for the sustainable operation of such enterprises," said Marat Akhmetzhanov, akim of Akmola Region, at the opening of the facility.
The project's creators placed particular focus on the environmental safety of the processes. Reprocessing metallurgical waste not only returns valuable components to economic use but also relieves waste storage facilities, reducing risks to the environment. Strict compliance with environmental standards makes the industrial facility an environmentally more rational link in the region's entire industrial chain.
The enterprise plans a major expansion. At the next stage, it intends to introduce pyrometallurgical technologies that will increase output of crude lead to 1,000 tons per month, as well as establish production of metallic antimony and copper concentrate. Such scale will require an expanded workforce, although more than 100 people already work steadily at the production facility, earning wages above the regional average.
Investors' arrival is also felt by those far from factory floors. The company takes on social responsibility, helping develop local infrastructure: at Azat station, a modern children's playground, football and basketball fields, and a specialized workout area have already appeared. In the village of Dolomitovy, asphalt has been laid on all main streets. Such initiatives show that the region's industrial growth can go hand in hand with improving quality of life in small villages.