Astana (TDI): Two new industrial facilities dedicated to the mining and processing of lithium are set to be established in the Ulan district of East Kazakhstan Region by 2029.
The announcement was made by Nurymbet Saktaganov, akim (governor) of East Kazakhstan Region, who said that plans are underway for the construction of a mining and processing plant, and a pegmatite ore processing facility.
The project will be implemented with the participation of HMS Bergbau AG, a German mining firm that plans to invest $500 million into the development of a lithium deposit discovered in 2023.
The initiative will include both the extraction of raw materials and the production of lithium oxide concentrate, an item in high demand across the international high-tech sector.
Berlin’s interest in Kazakhstan’s rare earth resources was discussed during a September 2023 meeting between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Dennis Schwindt, Chairman of the Board of HMS Bergbau AG.
Tokayev reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness for foreign investment and stressed the country’s intention to become a major player in the supply of strategic raw materials.
He underlined lithium’s growing significance in modern industry, especially for renewable energy and high-tech manufacturing.
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Operating in the USA, Singapore, Poland, South Africa and several other markets, HMS Bergbau AG is considered a key independent force in the international solid minerals sector.
Its new facility in East Kazakhstan will serve as a crucial link in the global lithium supply chain, amid rising international demand driven by electric vehicles, portable electronics, and energy storage systems.
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It is to be noted here that researchers from the Korea Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) announced last year the discovery of a lithium deposit in East Kazakhstan valued at nearly $15.7 billion.
Spanning 1.6 square kilometers, the site was previously mined for tantalum.
The research, commissioned by the Kazakh government, was based on geological data showing frequent co-location of lithium, tantalum and deposits.
