BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 2. Construction of the Burabay-Zhalgyzagash mining and processing plant has officially started in the Shalkiya settlement of the Zhanakorgan district in Kazakhstan's Kyzylorda Region, the regional akimat said.
The project is being implemented by Chinese company Liaoning Hongda Group, with investment in the construction estimated at 138 billion tenge (about $300.7 million).
Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce 210,000 tons of lead-zinc raw materials and 20 tons of silver annually. More than 550 new jobs are planned to be created as part of the project.
"Starting the construction of the plant is a historic event for our region. This is a new impetus for the industrial development of our region, a major investment project that provides broad opportunities for diversifying the economy and creating new jobs. I express my great gratitude to Liaoning Hongda Group for implementing such a large-scale and modern project in our region. The Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed us to move the country to a new investment cycle, launch modern production facilities and effectively use the economic potential of the regions," Kyzylorda Region Akim Murat Yergesbayev said.
The plant is planned to be constructed over the next two years and fully completed in 2028. Currently, drilling is underway to expand the mineral resource base of the deposit. Construction of access roads and preparation of construction sites have also begun.
In addition, design and estimate documentation has been developed for connecting the facility to the electricity grid, while preparations are underway to provide the project with electricity and connect it to the grid.
According to the regional akimat, nine investment projects worth more than 6.7 billion tenge ($14.6 million) have been implemented in the Zhanakorgan district over the past three years. Three more projects are planned for 2026, two of which have already been commissioned.
Over the next three years, 48 investment projects worth 1.9 trillion tenge ($4.14 billion) are planned to be implemented in the industrial sector of the region. More than 10,000 new jobs are expected to be created as a result.
