The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is financing Kazakhstan's first large-scale refractory gold ore processing facility, helping the country unlock previously inaccessible reserves while expanding domestic mineral processing.
Around half of Kazakhstan's gold resources are contained in refractory ores that cannot be processed using conventional methods.
The bank is providing a €255 million loan to support the construction of the Ertis pressure oxidation hydrometallurgical complex in the Pavlodar region. Developed by Solidcore Resources, the facility will be capable of processing up to 278,500 tonnes of gold concentrate a year.
Once completed, the project is expected to establish a new metallurgical segment in Kazakhstan, increasing value-added production in a mining sector that contributes around 12% of GDP and accounts for roughly one-third of the country's commodity exports.
By introducing pressure oxidation technology, the new plant will enable these complex ores to be processed domestically for the first time, creating the infrastructure needed to develop previously inaccessible deposits, strengthening Kazakhstan's competitiveness and expanding its mineral supply potential.
