British company enters Kazakhstan to process rare metals

A British company is expanding its presence in Kazakhstan. A new player has registered at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and may affect the critical metals market, according to economist Arman Batayev, who runs Finmentor.kz Telegram channel.

Maritime House Limited, specializing in critical metals processing, has registered a new entity at the AIFC — Central Asian Metals Ltd.

The company is known for its rhenium recycling, international trade and the production of specialty metals and hexamine.

Maritime House owns and operates a rhenium recycling plant in Napanee, Ontario, Canada. Over the past five years, the facility has received significant investment and has emerged as one of the world’s leading centers for the metal’s recycling.

Rhenium is a chemical element with atomic number 75. Under standard conditions, it is a heavy, silver-white metal. In terms of refractoriness, it is second only to tungsten.

According to available data, Kazakhstan is among the global leaders in primary rhenium supply, ranking second only to Chile. The key producers are Yuzhpolimetall and Zhezkazganredmet, which together produce around 8.5 tons of rhenium annually.