BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 1. The largest companies from Canada want to invest in a number of coal industry projects in Kazakhstan, Vice Minister of Industry of Kazakhstan Iran Sharkhan told journalists, Trend reports.
"The coal industry in the country is developing. We are looking for a balance for further improvement of the industry. Currently, various investors show interest in participating in coal industry projects in Kazakhstan," he said.
Sharkhan noted, that, although Kazakhstan has signed an agreement on carbon neutrality, which involves reducing coal dependence, in 2022, Kazakhstan has produced over 114 million tons of coal.
Earlier this year, Samruk-Energy JSC, the largest Kazakh energy holding, has announced that a new technology for coal mining will be applied.
Bogatyr Coal, the coal mining company within Samruk-Energy, produced 42.4 million tons of coal in 2022.
"The volume of coal sold in 2022 amounted to 42.4 million tons, of which 32.3 million tons were supplied to the domestic market of Kazakhstan, and about 10 million tons were exported to Russia," the source said.
In 2023, Samruk-Energy plans to increase coal production, and, thus, will put into operation a cyclic flow technology of coal mining. The project will increase the production capacity of the Bogatyr Coal company from 42 million to 50 million tons per year.