Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has visited the converter plant of Qarmet, a key facility in the company’s steelmaking operations, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Akorda press service. During the visit, the President was briefed on the steel production process, which begins with molten iron supplied from a blast furnace.
The iron is then converted into steel before being sent to continuous casting machines and subsequently to rolling mills for further processing. In 2024, Qarmet carried out major overhauls of converters No.1 and No. 2, replacing their bodies entirely and installing more advanced structures.
The modernization is expected to expand the company’s product range, increase steel production volumes and improve equipment reliability. The company is also continuing efforts to switch several technological processes to natural gas. Qarmet Chairman of the Board of Directors Andrey Lavrentyev briefed the Head of State on the company’s improving production performance and the implementation of its investment program.
By the end of 2026, Qarmet plans to produce 4 million tons of steel, 3.6 million tons of coal concentrate and 3.9 million tons of iron ore concentrate. Since the company began operations, its total investment has exceeded $2.7 billion. The funds have been allocated to modernizing existing facilities and developing new production capacities.
Qarmet is Kazakhstan’s largest mining and metallurgical company, operating a fully integrated production cycle. It is also the only integrated mining and metallurgical complex in Central Asia with its own coal, iron ore and energy resources. The company employs approximately 35,000 people, including more than 14,000 workers at its metallurgical plant in Temirtau.
Earlier, Qazinform reported the Kazakh President praised efforts to revitalize Temirtau.