Technical selenium of grade ST-1 has been produced by the selenium refining and slag processing workshop of Kazakhmys Progress LLP in Balkhash. This marks the first industrial production in Kazakhstan utilizing a unique vacuum distillation method. The new technology has increased the added value of selenium from 30% to 97% of the global market price. The initial shipment totaled 100 tons, with selenium content in the batch not less than 99.5%.

The vacuum distillation method ensures a high degree of selenium purification without the use of chemical reagents, making the process environmentally safe. The technology was developed by scientists from the Metallurgy and Enrichment Institute at Satbayev University. It facilitated the operation of a unique facility capable of producing products that meet the stringent requirements of the global non-ferrous metals market.

The project’s origins trace back to the modernization of the gas-cleaning system at the precious metals refining section of the Balkhash Metallurgical Plant of Kazakhmys Smelting LLP in 2017–2018. This modernization increased crude selenium production from 60 to 100 tons per year, making the refining process economically viable.

The selenium refining project, which processes crude selenium produced as a by-product of precious metal production, commenced at the Balkhash industrial site in 2020. A new production unit was launched in 2022 and its industrial operation began in 2023.

Today, selenium is used in the manufacture of solar panels, photocopiers, glass, ceramics as well as in medical and chemical industries. The launch of this new production facility in Balkhash opens up prospects for strengthening Kazakhstan’s and Kazakhmys’ position in the global non-ferrous metals market.