Kazakhstan-based steelmaker Qarmet has taken a major step in its modernization program with the start of construction of coke batteries Nos. 8 and 9, according to the company’s press release. The pouring of the first foundation signals the transition from preparation to full-scale building of what will become Kazakhstan’s most modern coking units.
According to the company’s press release, with a combined capacity of 1.5 million mt of dry coke per year, the new batteries will provide a stable supply to the plant’s blast furnaces and enhance long-term production stability. Once batteries Nos. 8 and 9 enter operation, Qarmet will retire batteries Nos. 1 to 4, which were built in the 1960s and have operated continuously for more than 65 years. Their replacement will improve environmental performance, reduce operational costs, and provide safer, more automated working conditions.
Qarmet’s investment totals $369 million, covering the full construction of the coking complex, engineering networks and auxiliary systems. The first coke from the new batteries is expected in 2027, when deliveries will begin to the Temirtau metallurgical plant.
