A consortium of companies from the China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC) group will build a new sulfuric acid plant at Kazakhmys' Zhezkazgan copper smelter in Kazakhstan, the company's press service said. Meanwhile, Kazakhmys and the CNCEC consortium have signed an agreement for the implementation of the project. The EPC contract is valued at $213.76 million.
"The need to build a new plant is linked to the large-scale modernization of the Zhezkazgan copper smelter and the transition to modern environmental standards. The existing metallurgical gas utilization infrastructure was commissioned in the 1970s and now requires significant technological upgrades," the company said. According to the information, the project includes the construction of a new sulfuric acid production facility and modernization of the process gas capture and purification system.
The upgrades will include converter enclosures, modern cooling towers, electrostatic precipitators and other gas-cleaning equipment. The new system will also be equipped with modern automation and process control technologies. Following completion of the project, the process gas capture rate is expected to reach 99%, while the residual sulfur dioxide concentration in treated gases will comply with the requirements of the international Best Available Techniques Reference Documents (BREF).
The project is expected to significantly reduce SO₂ emissions and the environmental impact of the Zhezkazgan smelter. The new plant will have a designed production capacity of 350,000 tons of sulfuric acid per year and will be capable of processing up to 300,000 normal cubic meters of process gases per hour. Commissioning is preliminarily scheduled for 2028.
Full-scale mobilization and preparatory work at the production site are expected to begin by the end of 2026, while construction and installation works are planned to take around 29 months. The new sulfuric acid plant is part of Kazakhmys' long-term modernization program for the Zhezkazgan copper smelter. The project is expected to improve the reliability of the gas purification system, bring the facility in line with modern environmental requirements, and support the long-term operation of the smelter.
Kazakhmys Group is a vertically integrated company with core assets in mining and non-ferrous metallurgy. According to the company's website, Kazakhmys ranks 20th globally in terms of copper-in-concentrate production, with 271,000 tons, and 12th in blister and cathode copper production, with 377,000 tons and 365,000 tons, respectively, including tolling feedstock. Source: https://www.trend.az/casia/kazakhstan/4216063.html © 2026 Trend News Agency.
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