Kazakhstan to meet domestic demand for cement shortly

 Kazakhstan intends to meet the domestic demand for cement in the nearest time, a Tengrinews.kz journalist reports, citing Albert Rau, Vice Minister for Investments and Development.

“Given that at the start of next year a cement facility capable of producing 500 000 tons a year is to be launched in Rudny; production capabilities of 2 million are to be launched at Kokshe-Cement Enterprise; BI Cement facility is to be started in Akmolinsk oblast; and a number of cement making facilities based in Shymkent are to be modernized, we are ready to meet the domestic demand for cement”, he said when speaking at the Eurasian Construction Industry Congress.

According to him, Kazakhstan has a vast cement production potential, however in the current year the country has imported over 1 million tons of cement. “Most of the issues are geography-wise: all the production facilities are concentrated in the East, in Karaganda and in the South; the West of Kazakhstan relies on imported cement; besides, we still lack high-quality cement”, he said.

“Back in 2009 President Nazarbayev set the task to meet 80 % of the domestic demand for all types of construction materials within the following 5 years (at the time local producers only met 55% of the demand). This year’s figure is around 74-75%. Should the local enterprises operate at full capacity and if we had had a glass making facility launched as planned, the figure would be much higher”, he said.

Mr. Rau elaborated that Kazakhstan annually imported 1.5 million tons of metal pipes, with the local production facilities operating at half capacity.