German holding interested in Kazakhstan's copper processing projects
Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin has held a meeting with Karl Günter Papenburg, Head of the German industrial holding GP Günter Papenburg AG, Qazinform News Agency learned from primeminister.kz.
The parties discussed plans for advancing Kazakhstan’s copper industry and explored potential areas of cooperation.
The meeting continued Kazakhstan’s proactive economic growth policy, under which the Government deliberately attracts leading international companies and investors, offering them opportunities to participate in the development of priority manufacturing sectors. During the negotiations, the Kazakh side presented its vision for copper industry’s development and proposed specific formats for collaboration.
Modernization and technological upgrading of the copper industry is one of the key priorities of Kazakhstan’s new growth model. Within this framework, emphasis is placed on producing higher value-added products that are in demand both domestically and internationally.
Kazakhstan has approximately 130 copper deposits. Around 170 million tons of ore are mined annually, accounting for about 4% of global output. However, up to 97% of products are exported in the form of cathodes, concentrates, and ore. The bulk of mined ore - approximately 750–800 thousand tons of copper per year - is processed into concentrate (second-stage processing). Of this, about 470 thousand tons are used to produce cathodes (third-stage processing), while the remaining concentrate is exported without further refinement. Production of higher value-added products - such as wire, foil, and cables - accounts for less than 5%. The potential for increasing gross value added in the copper industry is estimated to be more than twentyfold. For these reasons, advancing higher-stage copper processing is considered a strategic priority.
The German side expressed interest in a detailed study of the issue. It was noted that supplies of copper concentrate from Kazakhstan to Germany could be considered, though they require additional logistics analysis. Furthermore, the company is ready to explore establishing higher-stage processing facilities in Kazakhstan, emphasizing that efficient production should be located close to raw material sources.
The parties agreed to develop possible formats of cooperation with the involvement of Baiterek Holding and the support of Kazakhstan’s Embassy in Germany.
GP Günter Papenburg AG is one of Germany’s largest privately owned industrial and construction groups, with a history spanning over 160 years. The holding operates in the fields of raw material extraction, construction materials production, building construction, road and railway construction, machinery trade, logistics, and waste management.
The group unites 61 subsidiary companies, forming a single production and logistics ecosystem, and has extensive experience in international projects. In Kazakhstan, Papenburg participated in the construction of the Astana–Borovoje highway, confirming its competence in implementing large-scale infrastructure projects.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on Tuesday met with Wang Gan, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Chinese company Shenzhen Energy Environment Co., Ltd., who arrived in Astana for the Regional Ecological Summit (RES 2026). The talks focused on cooperation in the field of ecology in line with the environmental protection norms enshrined in the new Constitution of Kazakhstan and the Head of State’s Taza Qazaqstan (Clean Kazakhstan) initiative.
