2,000 Kazakhstanis May End Up Unemployed

The interruptions in soda supplies from Russia have put more than two thousand Kazakhstanis at risk of becoming unemployed. They work at the Aqtobe Chromium Compounds Plant, which has practically stopped operating, Orda.kz reports.

Energyprom.kz analysts warn of a "soda crisis" in Kazakhstan. According to their calculations, the output of chemical products made from Russian raw materials fell significantly in 2024. 

The production of sodium triphosphate fell by 87.1%, and chrome tanning agents - 31.2%. Ordinary soda is crucial in their production. It is imported from Russia, and supplies have essentially halted in recent months.

All these substances are produced by the Aqtobe Plant of Chromium Compounds (AZHS), and such a serious decline in production occurred due to delays in the supply of soda needed for production, the supplier of which is Russia. Problems with supplies began only in August of this year, after Ukraine's successful military operations in the Kursk region. The Kazakh authorities cannot influence the resumption of regular supplies, therefore, there is a possibility of the plant being idle as early as next year,Energyprom.kz notes . 

They are trying to partially compensate for the soda deficit by importing supplies from Uzbekistan, but these volumes are insufficient. Currently being built in the Jambyl region, the company's soda plant will not be launched before 2025. 

Of the 2,000 AZHS employees, 300 have been on forced leave since September. The rest, according to Energyprom, have had their salaries reduced. If the situation is not resolved, the plant may stop working.

From January to September, the volume of production in Kazakhstan's chemical industry increased by 8.9% year-on-year.

However, this growth was only achieved thanks to the production of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid, fertilizers, and other substances that do not require raw materials from Russia. 19 thousand people work in the chemical industry sector, and the average compensation is 504.3 thousand tenge.

Coal and silver production has also declined in Kazakhstan in 2024.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny