This year, Kazakhstan is set to implement a few major industrial projects. Their implementation will be under special control of the Cabinet, said Prime Minister Karim Massimov at a meeting in Astana. This year, 700 kilometres of roads will be put into operation in the Kyzylorda and Zhambyl regions under the Western Europe-Western China transport corridor project. Another 806 kilometres will be complete in 2013. As a result, the volume of freight traffic will grow 2.5 times by 2020.

Askar Zhumagaliyev, Kazakh Minister of Transport and Communications:
- It will involve about 75 thousand of our citizens, who will be participating in this project and implementing the task given by the head of state regarding the re-construction of a large transport corridor.

The construction of new railway lines will begin this summer. The «Zhezkazgan – Beineu» and «Arkalyk – Shubarkol» lines will shorten the distance for passengers from Western Kazakhstan to the center of the country almost twice. In addition, the construction of the Balkhash thermal power plant is nearing completion. The plant will solve the problem of energy shortages in the country’s southern regions. Propylene and polyethylene production will be established in Kazakhstan thanks to the construction of gas-chemical complex in the Atyrau region. The facility will start assembling technological equipment in the fourth quarter of 2012. Apart from that, the construction of a deep oil refining complex will begin in the second half of the year at the Atyrau Oil Refinery. The project will increase the production of high octane gasoline and diesel fuel three times.

Lyazzat Kiinov, Chairman of Board, KazMunaiGas National Company JSC:
- For example, 40-45% of oil at the refinery is used to produce fuel oil. We will start some big activities to improve the quality of refining. In the future, the refinery’s productivity will be up to five and a half million tons of oil per year.

A project for the provision of gas supplies to the central regions will be launched this year as well. In addition, construction sites of the Zhambyl mineral fertilizers production plant and the Karachaganak gas processing plant will appear on the industrial map and a total of 130 industrial facilities will start operating in the country before the end of the year.