Kyzylorda. October 1. KAZAKHSTAN TODAY - The management of the Orda Glass LTD glass factory in Kyzylorda, as part of a press tour organized by the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of Kazakhstan, talked with journalists about the prospects for the development of glass production in the country, the agency's correspondent reports.
We made adjustments to the technological design, invested funds for the operation of the plant. In 2022, the plant has already completed construction and was put into operation. If it weren't for the Chinese company, the plant would still be standing," said Zhao Liensuy, the company's administrative director.
The plant is a subsidiary of the China National Glass holding, which wholly owns the Kyzylorda enterprise, an investment project of the One Belt, One Road initiative.
Until 2017, before the plant was acquired by Chinese partners, production was at a standstill. There were conflicts between former shareholders, a scandalous arrest of the former Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan for repeatedly accepting bribes, including $2 million for patronizing one of the companies involved in the construction of the glass factory. The enterprise was on the verge of bankruptcy, as there was a large volume of debt to suppliers. Now all debts have already been covered.
''We can say that we, as shareholders, have invested 2-3 times more in this plant than anywhere else. Before we acquired this plant, the state invested about 50 million US dollars. After the construction was completed, we returned this amount to the state. The successful commissioning of the plant is the biggest contribution to the Kyzylorda region," added the plant director.
The first launch of the plant was carried out on October 9, 2022. The company is the first in the production of sheet glass in Kazakhstan.
The plant employs 377 people, 107 of whom are Chinese citizens. Today, a program has been launched under which Kazakhstanis are trained in production technology and promoted to management positions in three years. Employees will be sent to China to improve their qualifications. If the power goes out, local workers do not know what to do. For example, recently the power was turned off for 40 minutes, this resulted in a loss of 250 million tenge due to the fact that employees did not know what exactly to do. To accurately understand the principle of production, at least three years of training are required," explained the plant director.
The average salary of the enterprise's employees is higher than the average in the Kyzylorda region - 300 thousand tenge.
''It is planned to lay off Chinese employees. By 2025, we plan to keep about 50 Chinese in their jobs. Their families are in China, they want to work there. Here their salary is higher, which also affects the cost of production," the head shared his plans.
CNG Holding ranks third in glass production in China. Production exceeds the total volume of Russian manufacturers. Glass production also exceeds the demand of Kazakhstan, so 30 percent of finished products are exported to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Russia.
The plans include the production of glass for solar panels. Such glass is produced only in China, but if it starts to be manufactured in Kazakhstan, then export to Europe is possible. Also, next year, it is planned to produce energy-saving Low-e glass and colored glass. In this perspective, it is planned to invest another 15 million dollars in the enterprise.
Every day, the plant produces 500 tons of sheet glass with a thickness of 3.5 to 12 millimeters. The most powerful Swedish, Italian, German, Turkish and Japanese equipment consumes 1,800 thousand kW per hour.
The temperature in the workshops rises to 45 degrees. At the same time, labor here is minimized. A person only needs to control the operation of machines and operate the installations.
According to GOST, the products meet all requirements. Each glass sheet is carefully tested for strength.
Materials taken from the site: https://www.kt.kz/rus/project/kak_kitayskiy_biznes-podhod_spas_stekolnyy_zavod_v_1377956066.html