Mineral processing equipment major FLS recently formally announced the expansion of its service centre in Karaganda, which involved a US$15 million investment and marks an important milestone since it established operations in Kazakhstan in 2015.
It serves as a hub for onsite services, machining, testing, repair and refurbishment for many of FLS’s flowsheet products – from HPGRs to gyratory crushers, pumps, cyclones and valves. FLS stated: “As our presence in the region continues to grow, this expansion further strengthens our local operations and brings us even closer to our customers and strategic partners in one of the world’s leading mining nations.”
The milestone was celebrated at an inauguration ceremony with FLS staff, customers and government representatives with notable attendees including Aleška Simkič, Ambassador of the European Union to Kazakhstan; FLS CEO Toni Laaksonen; Azamat Panbayev, Chairman of the Committee of Industry of Kazakhstan; Ermek Amantayevich, Deputy Akim of the Karaganda Region; Yernar Kulpeisov, Director of the Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Karaganda Region Atameken; and Aizhan Balabatyrova, CEO of KAZ Minerals Management.
FLS said it is pleased to partner with leading operators in the country such as KAZ Minerals, who are at the forefront of adopting advanced technologies like HPGRs and added: “This milestone reflects our continued commitment to localisation, innovation, and sustainable solutions for the mining industry.”
The same week, the company also hosted an exclusive technical seminar for customers focusing on product technologies, service centre capabilities and field experience. FLS experts presented the latest FLS technologies, sharing real life data and insights on performance, reliability, and wear life improvements.
Major customer KAZ Minerals stated: “The expansion of the FLSmidth service centre in Karaganda is not merely a scale-up of production capacity, but a reflection of a new stage in the industry’s development. Kazakhstan is steadily strengthening its capabilities in industrial services, engineering expertise, and the localisation of selected technological solutions for the mining and metals sector.”
It added: “Today, FLSmidth solutions are deployed at key stages of KAZ Minerals Group’s production cycle. The presence of a local service centre directly contributes to the stability of production processes, improves maintenance response times, and supports the development of in-country service infrastructure. What is particularly important in the long term is that the installation of heavy equipment, including Union and Rafamet machines, as well as the localisation of selected components for HPGR and pumping equipment, creates additional opportunities to expand Kazakhstan’s repair and service base.”
FLS has delivered a number of major copper sulphide concentrators to KAZ Minerals – one at Aktogay in 2015 and two in Bozshakol in 2014. In 2021 it completed the US$100 million Aktogay 2 expansion, involving a new concentrator to support KAZ Minerals in doubling the throughput of the open pit mine from 75,000 t/day to 150,000 t/day.
The Aktogay 2 expansion alone involved SAG and ball mills, gyratory and pebble crushers, primary and regrind cyclones, flotation cells, scavenger cells and cleaner cells, dust collectors, an overland conveyor, belt feeders, in-plant conveyors, lime slaking plant, screens, concentrate and tailings thickeners.
KAZ Minerals also referenced the establishment of a research laboratory and the introduction of pilot technologies – HPGR Pro and REFLUX – enabling testing and adaptation of ore processing flowsheets, taking into account the specific characteristics of Kazakhstan’s deposits. It also highlighted joint training programmes between FLSmidth and KAZ Minerals as contributors to workforce development and supporting the growth of a new generation of Kazakhstani engineers.
The miner added: “Collaboration between KAZ Minerals and its international industry partners – FLSmidth, Borusan Cat and Orica – has already contributed approximately KZT 44 billion in investment to Kazakhstan’s economy and created around 1,000 jobs. Importantly, in partnership with international companies, Kazakhstan is progressively developing its own service, engineering and technological capabilities – a foundation essential for the sustainable long-term growth of the mining and metals industry.”
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