(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASTANA, Kazakhstan, October 22. Kazakhstan's coal mining sector demonstrated solid growth in the first nine months of 2025, both in terms of production volume and value, Trend reports referring to data from the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan.

The total production value in the coal mining industry reached 499.4 billion tenge ($925.7 million), representing a 10.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

In physical terms, total coal output-including hard coal, lignite, and coal concentrate-amounted to 84.585 million tonnes, which is 5.9 percent higher year-on-year.

Significant growth was recorded in several key categories. Production of thermal hard coal, used primarily for steam generation and heating, rose to 14.198 million tonnes, up by 23.8 percent. Output of coking coal, essential for the metallurgical industry, reached 6.104 million tonnes, showing a 20.4 percent increase. Coal concentrate production amounted to 3.397 million tonnes, an 8.9 percent rise compared to the same period last year. Additionally, thermal hard coal with high ash content saw a modest growth of 1.8 percent, totaling 53.312 million tonnes.

Concurrently, a downturn was noted across specific sectors. Lignite production experienced a contraction, registering at 1.666 million tonnes, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 7.2 percent. The output of alternative hard coal varieties experienced a contraction of 2.9 percent, culminating in a total of 5.908 million tonnes.

In the period spanning January to September 2025, the expansion trajectory of Kazakhstan's coal sector was predominantly propelled by heightened consumption and production metrics within the thermal and coking coal domains.

To note, Kazakhstan started coal mining in 1833 with the initial discovery of coal near modern-day Karaganda, which led to a small-scale boom. This marked the beginning of the coal industry in the region, which was later developed further by Russian and foreign entrepreneurs in the 1860s before being nationalized by the Soviet government.

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