WMC 2018: Driver for developing MMC in Kazakhstan
Within three days from 19 to 21 of June Astana hosts the key world event in the mining and metallurgical industry - the 25th World Mining Congress (WMC). Such a large-scale event of world significance is held for the first time not only in Kazakhstan but also in the territory of the CIS. This underlines the authority of Kazakhstan in the global mining and metallurgical industry. But, what is the value of holding this Congress for the country in addition to the image component? What challenging issues will be discussed? What goals will Kazakhstan achieve? What do we expect from the WMC 2018 in Astana? Please, read in the review material of Strategy2050.kz.
What the WMC is?
The World Mining Congress is one of the most ambitious and important industry events, which aims to unite business professionals and scientists from different countries of the world working in the solid mineral deposit – development sector. It is held every three years since 1958. Throughout history of its existence the number of participating countries of the Congress has increased from 10 to 49 and continues to grow. This year the Congress is attended by more than 1,200 delegates from 50 countries, 368 author speakers from 37 countries, 58 associations from 23 countries and 79 universities from 27 countries, including delegations from Australia, Austria, Canada, Norway and France.
The main objectives of the World Mining Congress are: promotion of world innovations and exchange of experience with the mining sector experts from all over the world; development of science and promotion of international scientific and technical cooperation for progress in the MMC; discussion of the most challenging issues of the MMC and finding solutions; improving industrial safety and environment protection measures.
In 2018, the Congress is held under the motto: "Innovative superiority is a step forward on the way to the growth of the world mining industry" and will cover the issues of geological prospecting, extraction and enrichment, risk assessment, digitalization of the industry, introduction of new technologies, attracting international financing, and many others.
How did it all begin for Kazakhstan?
In October 2016, during the 24th World Mining Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Kazakhstan took up the baton to hold the 25th World Mining Congress in Astana.
Undoubtedly, holding such a large-scale event is intended to contribute to disclosing the investment potential of country's mining industry, attracting world companies and junior companies. Moreover, Astana has quite a rich experience of holding such events: from the specialized mining and metallurgical congress of the AMM to the world exhibition EXPO 2017.
It should be noted that an opportunity to host the Congress 2018 in Astana was discussed in 2013 in Montreal, where the 23rd World Mining Congress was held. Kazakhstan put forward an initiative to hold the WMC in 2018. Members of the International Organizing Committee of the Congress unanimously supported the initiative of our country.
"For Kazakhstan, the mining and metallurgical complex is one of the key spheres of country's economy. In the overall structure of industrial production, the MMC amounts to 18%. That is why the holding of the World Mining Congress in 2018 in Astana is the most important event for us, which, of course, will have a favourable impact on the whole sector of the country. I am confident that based on our experience we will be able to hold the WMC 2018 at the highest international level", Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Industrial Development and Industrial Safety of the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan Kanat Baitov said at the 97th meeting of the International Organizing Committee of the WMC in Vienna.
What is the value of the WMC for Kazakhstan?
Holding of the WMC is a valuable event in the scientific and technical communities, because over the past two decades the Congress had presented the unique projects and developments. Later they were applied at the largest production facilities all over the world. The Congress in Astana is not an exception, as it attracts a large number of scientific institutions.
In connection with the 25th World Mining Congress, the organizers and the Government of Kazakhstan have high expectations, first of all, concerning the possibility of attracting additional investments in the country.
For example, the Mines&Money investment summit will be held within the Congress. It represents a successful platform of the European format for B2B meetings with investors.
The Mines&Money Club brings together 2500 investors from all over the world, who are focused on investing in the mining industry. With the help of these two events (WMC and Mines&Money) it is planned to attract new investors and world financial institutions to the country.
In addition, the Congress program is developed to increase the attractiveness and ensure the participation of a large number of financial and investment groups, which is especially important with the adoption of the Subsoil Code and the future digital activity of the "Astana" International Financial Centre.
The second "high hope" is related to Industry 4.0 and technology transfer.
In particular, this contributes to the holding of the largest Central Asian International Exhibition "Mining World Central Asia", where exhibitors present the latest developments in the automation of mining and processing of minerals, digitalization of the industry, because domestic companies are actively pursuing the introduction of digital technologies in their work at all stages of production. In addition, all business processes are also digitized: purchases, production services, sales, financial and HR management.
What do we expect from WMC 2018 in Astana? What will be discussed?
It stands to reason that Kazakhstan was chosen to hold the jubilee Congress. Country's resources present a rich mineral resource base: 99 elements of the periodic table are found in the bowels of the earth, 5000 active deposits, more than 60 elements are used in production.
One more important factor is indicators of the domestic market of the industry: for 2017 the volume of the mining industry grew by 9.3%, in the processing industry - by 5.1%. The extraction of non-ferrous metal ores and iron ore increased by 8.2% and 6.9%, respectively. Also, experts note the positive dynamics in the metallurgy sector, which is explained by the increase in production: in ferrous metallurgy - by 6.6%, while in non-ferrous metallurgy the growth in production was 5.5%.
Within the Congress a lot of technical sessions are held.
For example, the “Open Mining Works” session makes an accent on the fact that complications related to the mining and geological conditions, putting into production poorer deposits, deepening of the underground works, environmental degradation and necessity to move towards the “green” economy arise a row of technological problems that can only be resolved systemically within the close relationships between the science and the manufacturing sphere and with the development of the innovations based on the most advanced world-class technologies alongside with the strong investment and technology partnership.
At the “Ecology, Waste Processing" session it is planned to discuss the issues of improving the legislative base of Kazakhstan in the sphere of environmental protection in accordance with the OECD standards, recycling of production wastes and remediation of deposits after their development in the context of the new Subsoil Code. For mining companies, as active users of nature, following the principles of preserving the integrity of the ecosystem, these issues are of fundamental importance. At the session it is planned to present the Concept of the new Ecological Code of Kazakhstan.
For the mining and metallurgical complex, the topic of personnel support of the industry is also relevant. Therefore, within the framework of the WMC, a whole range of issues in the sphere of personnel training: personnel retraining in connection with the introduction of digital technologies and elements of the Industry 4.0 and the decline in demand for certain specialties, the introduction of a dual training system in the MMC and many others are considered at the session: “Human Resources in the MMC”.
The participants of the “Global Business” session focus on common market trends in the regions with the most developed mining industry, key business risks, capital management issues, and digital imbalances in the mining sector.
Kazakhstan, which does not have access to the World Ocean, has difficulties in transporting its products, in particular, MMC products to foreign markets. And in this issue, the experience of the European Union member countries, that also do not have access to the sea, is instructive, they successfully use the transport and port infrastructure of their EU partners. These hot questions are raised at the “Transport and Logistics” session.
One of the key factors of effective mining and production is high-quality innovative equipment and the latest technology. Within the "Mining World Central Asia" exhibition the exhibiting companies get a chance to establish rewarding business connections, secure long-term collaboration with partners, create joint ventures, launch new projects and arrange new manufacturing facilities. In addition, participants have an opportunity to meet with potential customers and identify their needs.
The Congress has also plans for a series of excursions which will allow participants of the WMC to get to know the industrial enterprises of Kazakhstan. As of now, the list of sites to visit includes Gold Refinery Plant of Tau-Ken Altyn LLP (Astana), Vassilkovskoye gold ore field of Altyntau Kokshetau (Akmola region), Bozshakol copper mine of KAZ Minerals Company (Pavlodar region), “Kazakhstanskaya” mine of ArcelorMittal Temirtau JSC (Shakhtinsk city of Karaganda region), Karaganda Metallurgical Complex of ArcelorMittal Temirtau JSC (Temirtau city of Karaganda region).
It should be pointed out that the organizer of the WMC 2018 is the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan. The co-organizer is the Republican Association of the Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises.
In 2018, the WMC is marked by several significant dates: a quarter of a century since the holding of the Congress, 60 years since its foundation, which was first held in 1958 in Warsaw, which led to a significant leap in the development of world cooperation in mining science and the creation of an international organization, known as the World Mining Congress, as well as the 20th anniversary of the capital of Kazakhstan.
Saltanat Suraganova
Photo: the press service of the Ministry for Investments and Development of Kazakhstan
