Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy announced on June 1 its plan to advance the development of six coal chemical projects, three of which are already under construction and the remaining three still in the preparation phase.

The ministry stated it will ramp up support for the domestic coal sector by boosting investment, lifting output and expanding export volumes to fuel industrial growth. Developing coal chemical processing stands out as a core route for intensive coal refining and generating high value-added products.

Three large-scale projects are currently underway across the country. Two sited in key coal-producing regions, Pavlodar Region and Karaganda Region, aim to produce diesel from coal, each boasting an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes. A metallurgical coke plant with an annual output of one million tonnes is also being built in Karaganda Region.

Three more projects remain at the preparatory stage. In Karaganda Region, authorities are exploring the construction of a coking plant to manufacture coal tar, benzene and coke oven gas. Ammonia and urea production facilities are planned for Abay Region. A new coal-to-gas plant is also on the agenda, while its exact location is yet to be finalized.