Yerbol Zakariyanov
Deputy Executive Director
Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises
Yerbol Zakariyanov is the Deputy Executive Director of the Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises (AGMP), a mining engineer and lawyer, and an expert in subsoil use, industrial policy, and the development of Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical complex.
He has more than 40 years of professional experience in scientific research, public administration, and industry consulting. He worked as a research fellow at the Institute of Mining of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, held senior positions at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and led consulting and investment projects.
Since 2009, he has been working at AGMP, where he participates in the development of sectoral state programs, improvement of legislation on subsoil use, environmental and industrial legislation, as well as strategic documents for the development of the mining and metallurgical complex through 2030.
He is the author of scientific publications and inventions. He has been awarded state and industry honors of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including the medal “For Distinguished Labor” («Ерен еңбегі үшін»). He is a member of профиль expert and industry councils.
TMF as a Factor of Resource Security and Sustainable Growth
In Kazakhstan, more than 55 billion tons of technogenic mineral formations (TMF) have been accumulated: tailings, overburden dumps, and metallurgical slags. Historically, TMFs were regarded as an environmental burden. In the context of growing global demand for critical metals, TMFs are becoming a secondary mineral resource base. A transition is taking place from the model of “accumulation and conservation” to a model of “inventory – assessment – processing – integration into economic circulation.”
TMFs contain copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, molybdenum, tungsten, and rare and rare earth elements. Rising prices for critical metals make processing economically viable even at low grades. Opportunities include:
• utilization of existing metallurgical capacities;
• development of small and medium-scale processing facilities;
• increased export revenues without expanding primary mining.
Key conclusion: TMFs represent a reserve for economic growth and an element of Kazakhstan’s resource security.
