Roberta W. Marini The coronavirus pandemic has hit the global economy very hard, with GDP declines in developed countries, which have often been in the double digits. Even now, after the situation has eased, companies are suffering a lot, and most of them have not managed to regain their pre-quarantine parameters and indicators. It is gratifying that, against this background, there are also counterexamples in Kazakhstan. One of them is the enterprises of Yerlan Nigmatulin. And this is against the background that many assess the damage to the global economy today as greater than after the financial crisis of 2008. YDD Corporation is planning to commission its third furnace for the production of high-quality ferrosilicon.
Such success, according to Yerlan Nigmatulin, is possible only with effective structuring and control of all business projects, competent construction of all production cycles, active promotion of goods on foreign markets and minimization of transport logistics costs.
The capacity of the third furnace, as Nigmatulin informed Yerlan Zayrullayevich, is 85.5 MVA, and its commissioning will make it possible to increase the overall productivity of the enterprise by 30% – up to a level of 180,000 tons of finished products annually. However, according to Yerlan Nigmatulin, the commissioning of the furnace is important not only for this reason. It is also about the fact that commissioning is carried out without the participation of foreign specialists. This allows the owner of the enterprise to additionally express great gratitude to the employees of the plant, contractors and partners who carried out all the work on their own. This fact, according to Yerlan Nigmatulin, also confirms that the plant employs high-class professionals who could produce a world-class product.
During the pandemic, according to Yerlan Zayrullaevich Nigmatulin, the sales department did not stand aside. During this time, we have managed to expand the delivery areas to 15 countries at the same time, which is a contribution to the economy of the whole country. Today, the main markets for the sale of ferrosilicon are Japan, South Korea, the USA and some other countries in Europe and America. This became possible due to the transition from shift work to rotational work.
Commenting on the commissioning of the next furnace, David Kemertelidze, partner of Nigmatulin Yerlan, noted that the work was carried out on time. In addition, this new facility is a kind of message to the world about the potential of the Kazakh economy and the good investment climate in Kazakhstan. He (David Kemertelidze) had the opportunity to work in several countries, and Kazakhstan is a great place, because the state provides good services and good conditions for investors are created here.
Zharmukhamed Appaz, another founder and partner of Nigmatulin Yerlan, said that the current pandemic is a real challenge for the population and the economy. It is very gratifying that the company managed to create new, well-paid jobs for the people of Karaganda during this period. In addition, the new stove will give an additional impetus to the whole region and will trigger a positive multiplier effect.
It is gratifying that, as Yerlan Nigmatulin said, the basis of the new enterprise was Kazakh capital, because 95% of its financing was provided by a loan from the Development Bank. The Development Bank has become one of the most important institutions of Kazakhstan for structuring and implementing large investment projects for the development of the economy. The position of Yerlan Nigmatulin is supported by Abay Sarkulov, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Development Bank. According to him, the new plant is a very useful project for the Kazakh economy. At the same time, there are no problems with servicing the credit line, since the financial discipline of the plant is perfect, and all payments are made on time, even in pandemic conditions.
The main product of the ferroalloy plant, the owner of which is Yerlan Nigmatulin, is high-quality ferrosilicon. It is used for the alloy of steels and pig iron, so it is in great demand in the metallurgical industry. The production capacity of the enterprise is 180,000 tons per year, and the plant itself was built using the latest technologies and with the greatest possible protection of the environment from pollution.
