AMM 2024: INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS AND LEADERS DISCUSSED THE CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF THE MINING AND METALLURGY INDUSTRY IN ASTANA

ON JUNE 6, THE 14TH INTERNATIONAL MINING AND METALLURGICAL CONGRESS - ASTANA MINING & METALLURGY - AMM 2024 BEGAN ITS WORK AT THE HILTON ASTANA HOTEL.

The AMM Congress is a unique platform where major players in the industry meet with representatives of the ministry, industry associations and business to create partnerships and exchanges experience and discussion of pressing problems of the mining and metallurgy industry. In 2024, 1,280 delegates from 20 countries of the world will take part in the Congress (Kazakhstan, Denmark, UAE, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, France, Australia, Mongolia, Canada, India, Switzerland, China, Russia, USA, Poland, Finland, Japan, Turkey, Belgium), which confirms the interest of international organizations in one of the leading events in Central Asia, promoting the strategic development of the mining and metallurgy industry of Kazakhstan.

On the first day of the Congress, a wide range of issues related to the development of the mining and metallurgy industry were considered. The Congress program was opened by the Plenary Session: The Age of Metals - Challenges and Solutions. Experts discussed the role of international cooperation in solving global challenges in the global mining, metallurgical and uranium industries. The moderator was Mikhail Volkov, Managing Director and Partner of the Boston Consulting Group. The speakers of the Plenary session were Kanat Sharlapayev, Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Benjamin Gallezot, Interdepartmental Delegate for Strategic Supplies of Ore and Metals, Office of the Prime Minister of France, Garth Kirkham, President of CRIRSCO; Serik Shakhazhanov, General Director of Eurasian Group LLP; Zhanibek Baigabelov, General Director of Kazakhmys Smelting LLP; Tina Armstrong, Global Managing Director of Hatch.

K. Sharlapayev, the Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in his speech emphasized: “More than 200 thousand people work in the mining industry of Kazakhstan today. We have built enormous competence in this industry. We have adopted a large comprehensive plan for the development of rare earth metals. And our vision is very simple. We want to be a midstream country in rare and rare earth metals. Kazakhstan, with its competence in the production of critical raw materials, is already firmly established as a sustainable supplier in the global supply chain. For example, one of the three full-cycle beryllium, scandium, osmium and four tantalum full cycle production facilities in the world is located in Kazakhstan. And we continue to do great work”.

​The Minister also noted the country’s production of titanium, which accounts for 21% of the aerospace industry, uranium, which provides 43% of global demand, as well as copper, aluminum, zinc and lead. K. Sharlapayev noted that thanks to this, we are confident in the development of the mining industry in the future.

Within the framework of the AMM Congress, K. Sharlapayev held a number of bilateral meetings, including with Peter Buchholz, Head of the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA), with Benjamin Gallezot, Interdepartmental Delegate for Strategic Supplies of Ore and Metals, Office of the Prime Minister of France, with Henrik Hololey , Chief Advisor to the General Director of the European Commission, with Garth Kirkham, Chairman of CRIRSCO, Director of the Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM), with Tina Armstrong, Global Managing Director of Hatch, with a number of large Canadian and British companies in the mining and metallurgy sector on the issues of cooperation with Kazakhstan.

Also, the honored guests and speakers of the Plenary session got acquainted with the exposition of the AMM 2024 exhibition. Companies such as KAZ Minerals, ERG, Kazakhmys, Kazzinc, Polymetal, Altynalmas, National Geological Survey, Park of Innovative Technologies Autonomous Cluster Fund presented their new projects and innovative developments. In total, 41 companies from 12 countries: Switzerland, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Cyprus, USA, Poland, Finland, Germany, Japan, France, Turkey presented their stands at the 2024 exposition. 58% of the stands are organized by Kazakhstani companies, which include both domestic manufacturers and distributors, 42% of the total number of exhibitors in 2024 are international companies.

 

On an expanded exhibition area exceeding 350 sq.m., a wide range of products and services was demonstrated, including advanced technological solutions and equipment for the mining and metallurgical industry. For the first time at the exhibition, the following companies presented their products: AV Group, Alef Trade, Geobrugg, Derrick Corporation, Eurasia TechMachinery, Labvea, Magotteaux S.A., Miakom St. Petersburg, Mount Sopris, Netcad Yazilim A.Ş, Novomek, Satbayev University, Warter Polymers Ltd., Feluwa Pumpen Gmbh and Cable Alliance Holding.

Also within the framework of the Congress, two strategic sessions were held. At the Strategic Session: “Critical commodity minerals - strategic assets: exploring the minerals of the future”, K. Sharlapayev and heads of international agencies and companies reviewed Kazakhstan as part of the global critical minerals value chain, opportunities for strategic partners within the framework of the Critical Commodity Minerals Law, challenges in development of critical commodity minerals  and their solutions.

 On the first day of the AMM Congress, Al-Farabi Ydyryshev, National Coordinator of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Critical Raw Minerals, and Bernd Schaefer, General Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (Germany) signed a memorandum on joining the National Center for Technology Forecasting to ERMA. Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) at the site of the international mining and metallurgical congress - Astana Mining & Metallurgy signed ten offtake contracts with seven Kazakhstani producers for a total amount of more than 20 billion KZT, which also indicates the significant effectiveness of the Congress site for the development of partnerships.

The strategic session: “Rules of mining in Kazakhstan: how the rules of the game are changing” included discussions of the subsoil code, the current status and changes in legislation in the field of subsoil use of solid minerals and tax policy. The participants were Iran Sharkhan, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, chairmen and managers of large mining and metallurgy companies.

A dialogue between representatives of Kazakhstani and European businesses, with a focus on practice, potential and new technologies in the field of critical minerals, took place at the business forum: “Partnership between Kazakhstan and the European Union in the field of critical minerals”, one of the speakers of which was Olzhas Saparbekov, the Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In the Amphitheater area, a session of Park of Innovative Technologies Autonomous Cluster Fund on the implementation of corporate innovations as a new tool for digital transformation of industry was held, as well as a Panel session: “Beneficiation and processing - digitalization of beneficiation factories”, where speakers discussed the topics of digitalization and the introduction of new technologies in industry.

At the same time, a press breakfast was held in an informal, friendly atmosphere, where key and industry media in Kazakhstan discussed important issues and shared their experiences with the press services of ministries, national companies and large mining and metallurgy organizations.

The content of the program of the first day of the Congress also included a Case session: Presentations of Canadian and Kazakhstani developments for the mining and metallurgy complex; session: ESG and sustainable development strategies; expert presentation: Mining Sector Diagnostic from World Bank: implementing reforms for sustainable benefits.

Tomorrow, June 7, on the second day of the AMM Congress, the V Forum of Gold Miners of Kazakhstan, the V Coal Forum, panel sessions on the following topics will be held: “Digitalization of surface and underground mining” and “Making assumptions in the digital thicket: how to predict and solve the issues of the decade in based on artificial intelligence”. In the amphitheater area, the winners of the Golden Hephaestus industry competition will share their successful experience of participating in the competition. A training session will be held especially for PR specialists, where speakers will discuss the new direction in PR. GR meet-up will allow establishing high-quality business contacts with representatives of the public sector and the majority of subsoil users in Kazakhstan.

The event was organized by ITECA Kazakhstan Exhibition Company and its international partner - ICA Events Group of Companies.

State Partner: Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Gold Partners: Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), KAZ Minerals, Kazakhmys, Polymetal, ACF PIT. Silver Partner: Kazzinc. Bronze Partners: Hatch, Linde Gas Kazakhstan, Metso, SGS Kazakhstan.