Kazakhstan eyes entry into global gallium market
Move could make Kazakhstan world’s second-largest producer of high-tech metal, which is essential for semiconductors, radar systems, and aerospace navigation
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — Kazakhstan is accelerating its push into the global critical minerals market, announcing new investments in gallium production and expanding exploration for copper, tin, and rare metals. The effort reflects a broader strategy to transform the country into a major supplier of resources essential to modern technologies.
Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), one of the country’s largest mining conglomerates, has announced a $20 million project to begin gallium production in 2026. The move could make Kazakhstan the world’s second-largest producer of the high-tech metal, which is essential for semiconductors, radar systems, and aerospace navigation.
According to The Times of Central Asia, ERG plans to extract gallium from bauxite ore used in alumina production, with exports aimed primarily at OECD countries seeking to reduce dependence on China.
“ERG plans to become a significant player in the global gallium market,” said CEO Shukhrat Ibragimov, adding that annual output could reach 15 metric tons. The announcement comes months after China imposed export restrictions on gallium, germanium, and antimony — a move that rattled global supply chains and underscored the urgency for new sources.
At the AMM-2025 mining forum in Astana, ERG also revealed major copper finds in central Kazakhstan. Exploration drilling in the Karaganda region has uncovered copper in 42 of 51 wells, with concentrations as high as 6.7%, said Zaura Kunanbayeva, senior geologist at ERG Exploration.
Initial estimates suggest the Karabas site holds more than 250,000 tons of copper, with the potential to yield up to 1 million tons of ore. Additional deposits of molybdenum, lead, zinc, and silver have also been identified. A comprehensive assessment is expected by late 2025.
Meanwhile, ERG has updated reserve figures for the Syrymbet tin deposit in northern Kazakhstan — considered the world’s largest undeveloped source of tin. Following new evaluations, tin reserves now stand at 286,000 tons, with copper reserves revised to 55,000 tons.
Aida Alzhanova, deputy head of strategy at Solidcore Eurasia, said the site’s proximity to China, the top global consumer, makes it strategically valuable. “Tin prices have doubled in five years, recently hitting $33,000 per ton,” she noted.
The Kazakh government is backing the mining sector with ambitious expansion plans. Deputy Minister of Industry and Construction, Iran Sharkan, said more than $820 million has been invested in geological exploration since 2018. By 2026, authorities aim to expand the national exploration zone from 1.9 to 2.2 million square kilometers.
Sharkan noted a 33% increase in domestic copper processing and a twofold rise in gold ore production over the past decade. “Kazakhstan is now among the top 20 countries in gold reserves globally,” he said.
Foreign investment is also gaining momentum. In May, Australia’s C29 Metals signed a joint exploration deal with Astana-based Bask International Group Ltd — part of a growing wave of international interest in Kazakhstan’s mineral wealth as the global clean tech race accelerates.
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