One of Kazakhstan’s oldest coal deposits is set for a revival in the East Kazakhstan Region. UAE-based MQ Emirates Group has received a 25-year license to develop the Kenderlyk deposit. The first open-pit coal production is scheduled for 2028, with the mine expected to reach its design capacity by 2034.
The project will target Coal and Shale Field No. 1, under a license valid for 25 years. Geological exploration and drilling are scheduled for the next two years, after which commercial mining will begin.
Initial production will be relatively modest at around 10,000 tonnes of coal. Output is then expected to increase gradually. The mine’s planned capacity is 50,000 tonnes per year, with the project targeting that level by 2034. Recoverable reserves at the licensed area are estimated at approximately 940,000 tonnes.
The deposit is located in the Zaysan District, around 65–70 kilometers from the town of Zaysan. The combined reserves of previously identified areas at Kenderlyk have been estimated by Kazakhstan’s National Geological Service at 11.3 million tonnes. The coal has a relatively high ash content of around 35–40%, which limits its use in power generation but does not eliminate the project’s social importance.
Local consumption will be the priority. The coal is expected to supply households and municipal services in the Zaysan District. For a remote area with severe winters, establishing a stable local fuel supply is a matter of energy security.
Kenderlyk also has potential beyond coal. The deposit contains oil shale, which was previously considered a potential feedstock for the shale-processing industry. That potential has yet to be developed, but under the right economic and technological conditions it could become a second stage of the project.
East Kazakhstan now has an opportunity to revive mining at a deposit with a long industrial history. The UAE investor is focusing on the local market and a gradual production ramp-up, while the presence of oil shale provides additional potential for a more ambitious second phase.
Source: inbusiness.kz
Image: AI Atameken Business
