OREANDA-NEWS  On 15 December was announced, that the nation’s first silicon-producing plant and a Kazakhstan’s 30 Corporate Leaders project was unveiled at a ceremony in the Karagandy region.

The Silicium Kazakhstan venture came at the total cost of over 100 million, out of which more than 70 million was provided by BТА Bank.

The plant’s output will include 25,000 tonnes of high-quality metallurgical-grade silicon for the aluminium and chemical industries, high-purity silicon for solar-grade polysilicon production, 10,500 tonnes of microsilica and 875 tonnes of silicon slag. The company plans to reach the projected metallurgical-grade silicon production capacity in 2009.

Because Kazakhstan lacks opportunities for processing silicon further, the plant’s entire output is destined for export. In particular, under an exclusive contract with Silicium Kazakhstan, Germany’s ThyssenKrupp, a partner in the venture, has undertaken to market the entire output of the operation globally for 10 years. Interest in the products has also been shown by customers in Japan, USA and South Korea.

Meanwhile, as its next step, the company plans to start its own production of polymetallic silicon and solar panels creating 220 new jobs in the process.

The relationship between BTA Bank and Silicium Kazakhstan dates back to 2006, when the bank arranged financing for the import of equipment and materials for a metallurgical-grade silicon and silicon powder production plant that would use gangue quartz from the Ulytau-Zhezkazgan quartz-bearing province in the Karagandy region. The ˆ65 million financing raised by BТА from Deutsche Bank AG was guaranteed by Euler Hermes, Germany’s export credit agency. For its unique financing structure that deal by BTA was recognised as the best in 2006 by Trade Finance and Global Trade Review.