Kazakhstan eyes localizing satellite manufacturing
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a series of bilateral meetings with international companies on the sidelines of the ninth Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR-2026) in Shymkent, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the government’s press service.
The meetings brought together representatives of Aksa Energy, Carlsberg Kazakhstan, Solico Group and CONTEC. Discussions covered ongoing and prospective investment projects in energy, agribusiness, food production and the space sector.
The parties examined prospects for expanding cooperation, developing processing industries and introducing new technologies in line with the priorities set by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Increasing the share of local content was also a key focus.
During a meeting with Aksa Energy CEO and Executive Committee Chairman Naci Ağbal, Bektenov discussed the results of the company’s cooperation with Kazakhstan and prospects for new energy projects.
The sides highlighted the launch of a combined-cycle power plant in Kyzylorda, valued at 215 billion tenge. The facility, with an electrical capacity of 240 MW and a thermal capacity of 277 Gcal per hour, entered commercial operation in June 2026. It is designed to meet the region’s growing demand for electricity and heat.
Further investment plans by Aksa Energy in Kazakhstan were also discussed.
At a meeting with Carlsberg Kazakhstan CEO Vyacheslav Maltsev, the discussions focused on food industry development, production localization and export expansion.
Carlsberg Kazakhstan has become the official distributor of PepsiCo products in Kazakhstan. As part of the cooperation between the two companies, a $344 million soft drinks plant was launched in Almaty region on October 1, 2026.
The facility supplies the domestic market and is also intended to serve export markets. It has created 230 permanent jobs.
Local content currently accounts for 71.5% of Carlsberg Kazakhstan’s operations. The meeting also addressed opportunities to expand cooperation with domestic suppliers of raw materials and packaging materials.
Bektenov also met with Alireza Mohammad Rahimi, CEO and Board Member of Solico Group in the CIS countries, to discuss construction of a cheese manufacturing plant in Almaty region.
The project represents an investment of nearly 45 billion tenge and is expected to have an annual production capacity of 41,000 tons. It is projected to create around 450 permanent jobs.
Construction and installation work is ongoing, with the facility scheduled to begin operations in 2029.
The sides also considered prospects for establishing additional processing facilities in Kazakhstan’s agricultural regions. Such projects are expected to support the expansion of exports of domestically produced goods.
During talks with CONTEC founder and CEO Lee Sung-hee, the sides discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in the space industry.
The proposals include joint production of satellites and satellite components in Kazakhstan, development of ground infrastructure and localization of selected manufacturing processes.
The discussions also covered the use of artificial intelligence to process satellite data, cooperation in training Kazakhstani specialists and opportunities to export jointly manufactured products to international markets.
Kazakhstan is seeking to attract new investment and implement projects focused on producing high-value-added goods. Prime Minister Bektenov instructed the relevant ministries and responsible organizations to provide the necessary support for investment projects.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan and Chinese company advance a $1 billion Kuryk port project.