BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Kazakhstan's Qarmet plans to produce 4 million tonnes of steel, 3.6 million tonnes of coal concentrate, and 3.9 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate by the end of 2026, according to the press service of the Kazakh government.
Qarmet Chairman of the Board of Directors Andrey Lavrentyev briefed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the company's production growth and investment program during the president's visit to the company's converter shop in the Karaganda region.
Tokayev was informed that the converter shop is a key part of Qarmet's steelmaking operations. During the visit, he was shown how molten iron from a blast furnace is converted into steel, which is then sent to continuous casting machines and subsequently to rolling facilities.
In 2024, Qarmet carried out major overhauls of converters No. 1 and No. 2, including the complete replacement of their shells and the installation of more modern structures.
The modernization is expected to expand the company's product range, increase steel output, and improve equipment reliability. The company is also continuing work to switch several technological processes to natural gas.
The company's total investment has exceeded $2.7 billion. The funds have been allocated to modernizing existing facilities and building new production facilities.
Qarmet is Kazakhstan's largest mining and metallurgical company with a full production cycle and the only integrated mining and metallurgical complex in Central Asia with its own coal, iron ore, and energy resources. The company employs around 35,000 people, including more than 14,000 at its steelworks in Temirtau.
Earlier in the day, Tokayev arrived in the Karaganda region on a working visit and inspected the restored tram system in Temirtau city. Qarmet restored tram services in 2024. More than 1 million passenger trips have been made since the service resumed.
