A technical launch of equipment at the Qazaq Kaolin mining and processing plant took place in the Zerendi district of the Akmola region. The enterprise began operations based on the Alexeyevskoye kaolin deposit. The company's co-owners are Kydyrgali Baibek and Bekzat Kerimbai.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF THE ENTERPRISE
The technical launch took place at the end of April at the production site of Qazaq Kaolin LLP in the Zerendi district. The operation of the main technological units was checked on site, and a trial batch of products was released.
The company's general director, Marat Khasenov, stated that the project is focused on the production of enriched kaolin. Specialists from the German company AKW are working at the enterprise, carrying out commissioning and technological equipment testing.
WHAT CAPACITIES ARE STATED FOR THE PLANT
According to Marat Khasenov, the factory's production capacity is 230 thousand tonnes of raw materials and up to 90 thousand tonnes of enriched kaolin per year. The enterprise also plans to produce quartz sand in four fractions.
Equipment for the project was purchased from Germany, China, and Russia. The metal structures were manufactured by the Temirtau plant, and the main construction work was carried out by the Karaganda-based company AsiArt.
The total investment in the project amounted to 12 billion tenge.
WHEN DID CONSTRUCTION BEGIN
Construction of the plant started in August 2025. Currently, the main production facilities have been built on the site, and technological equipment has been launched. The company is conducting trial production.
Currently, 53 employees work at the enterprise. After reaching full design capacity, the workforce is planned to be increased to approximately 90 people. The full production launch is scheduled for July 2026. A trial batch of products manufactured in the plant's laboratory has been sent to foreign clients for testing and use in ceramic production.
WHO OWNS THE COMPANY
According to the eGov portal, the owners of Qazaq Kaolin are Kydyrgali Baibek and Bekzat Kerimbai.
Kydyrgali Baibek is the father of former Almaty mayor Bauyrzhan Baibek, who held this position from 2015 to 2019. Previously, Bauyrzhan Baibek reported that his father was a classmate of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The name of Kydyrgali Baibek was previously mentioned in the materials of a criminal case concerning the organised group Yeldos Kospayev. In 2019–2020, structures linked to the defendants sold him several properties in Almaty through AV-Construction LLP. It was alleged that the transactions were conducted at prices below cost.
Bekzat Kerimbai heads the capital's corporate foundation, Aray Media Group. The sole owner of this organisation is listed as Aigul Baibek — the sister of the former Almaty mayor.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROJECT'S INFRASTRUCTURE
Previously, the Akimat of the Akmola region reported that the company had invested 650 million tenge in modernising the energy infrastructure. According to the akimat, this made it possible to triple the capacity of the transformer substation and ensure stable electricity supply for nearby settlements.
During the technical launch, the site was visited by the Akim of the Zerendi district, Aset Kurmangozhin, representatives of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Industry of the Akmola region, employees of the district akimat, and local residents.