Akmola Region is entering a significant new phase in the development of Kazakhstan’s gold industry as Zijin RG Gold moves ahead with a major new processing facility at the Raygorodok gold deposit in Burabay District. Backed by direct investment exceeding US$600 million, the project is designed to substantially expand ore-processing capacity while supporting Kazakhstan’s wider push towards deeper domestic processing and technologically advanced mining operations. Akmola already occupies a central position in the country’s precious-metals sector. According to KAZAKH INVEST, the region accounts for approximately 54% of Kazakhstan’s doré alloy production, supported by major producers including RG Gold, Altyntau Kokshetau and Altynalmas. The new investment signals a further shift from mineral extraction alone towards larger-scale processing and value creation within Kazakhstan.

Major Expansion at Raygorodok

The new Zijin RG Gold plant is planned with the capacity to process 10 million tonnes of ore annually. Once the expansion is fully implemented, the Raygorodok complex is expected to reach total mining and processing capacity of approximately 16 million tonnes per year. The development builds on existing infrastructure at Raygorodok, where a carbon-in-pulp processing plant has been operating since 2022. Zijin Mining describes Raygorodok as a large producing gold operation consisting of two open pits in northern Kazakhstan. The company reports substantial mineral resources and reserves at the site, providing a foundation for the planned expansion. The latest project was formally marked by a commemorative capsule-laying ceremony attended by Akmola Region Akim Marat Akhmetzhanov, executives from Zijin Mining and Zijin RG Gold, and representatives of Kazakhstan’s central authorities. KAZAKH INVEST is supporting implementation of the investment project.

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Gold Output Set for Significant Growth

The second processing plant is expected to add approximately 7 tonnes of gold production annually. Regional authorities expect the expansion to raise the operation’s overall annual doré output from around 6 tonnes to more than 12 tonnes. The project extends well beyond construction of the processing facility itself. Plans include new electricity and water infrastructure, tailings-management facilities, transportation and logistics systems, repair and warehouse complexes and a rotational workers’ camp capable of accommodating around 400 people. Together, these facilities are intended to create a more integrated industrial complex around the Raygorodok operation.

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Investment in Local Skills

& Communities

Workforce development forms another important part of the expansion strategy. Zijin Mining has introduced a scholarship programme through which young people from Akmola Region can study in China before returning to work at the mining and processing operation. Plans also envisage cooperation with universities and colleges within Akmola Region to develop specialists for the expanded facility locally. Zijin Mining says Raygorodok has already generated substantial local employment and supported community infrastructure. More than half of employees at the operation come from Akmola Region, while previous community programmes have included improvements to roads, water infrastructure and communications as well as educational initiatives. The expansion is therefore expected to have an economic impact beyond gold production itself, creating opportunities for contractors, logistics providers, maintenance businesses and other small and medium-sized enterprises supporting the mining industry.

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Akmola’s Wider Gold Industry Modernisation

Zijin RG Gold’s investment forms part of a broader wave of mining modernisation across Akmola Region. Altyntau Kokshetau has been allocated an additional 1,057 hectares for expansion of its open-pit and production areas and is moving towards a hybrid mining model incorporating underground extraction. Meanwhile, the Altynalmas group is undertaking reconstruction and modernisation of gold-processing facilities at its Zholymbet and Aksu operations, with investment estimated at KZT 23 billion. These projects illustrate the increasing concentration of investment, processing infrastructure and technical expertise in one of Kazakhstan’s most important mineral-producing regions.

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Building a Stronger Gold Processing Centre

For Akmola Region, the Raygorodok expansion represents more than an increase in mine capacity. It combines international capital, new processing infrastructure, workforce development and supporting industrial facilities within a single large-scale project. The regional authorities see these investments as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Akmola’s role in Kazakhstan’s gold sector while moving production towards more advanced domestic processing. Together with the modernisation programmes being undertaken by other major producers, the projects are expected to support the region’s ambition of increasing annual gold-processing volumes to 50 tonnes by 2028. With more than US$600 million committed to the new Zijin RG Gold facility alone, Raygorodok is emerging as an important example of how Kazakhstan is combining its mineral resources with new processing capacity, international investment and local workforce development to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of its mining industry.

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