Translating Technical Documentation for Construction of the Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter

About the Client

NFC Kazakhstan LLP is a subsidiary of China Nonferrous Metal Industry’s Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (NFC), one of China’s largest state-owned nonferrous metals companies, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (code: 000758).

NFC’s Scale of Operations:

Active in 50+ countries
Ranked among the Top 250 international contractors by Engineering News-Record (ENR)
Specializes in EPC contracts (engineering, procurement, construction) in mining and metallurgy
A major contractor on Belt and Road Initiative projects

The KAS Project:

Client: Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter JSC (part of ERG — Eurasian Resources Group)
General contractor: NFC Kazakhstan
Location: Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
Cost: $850 million
Capacity: 250,000 metric tons of primary aluminum per year
Significance: Kazakhstan’s first and only aluminum producer

The Challenge

Scale and Complexity

Construction of the largest aluminum plant in Kazakhstan’s history required a vast volume of critical technical documentation to be translated on tight deadlines. The project was delivered under an EPC contract (engineering, procurement, construction), requiring translation of:

Design and cost-estimate documentation — the complete set of design solutions
Engineering drawings — construction and process diagrams
Technical instructions — for equipment, installation, and operation
Equipment specifications — from Chinese and international suppliers
HSE documentation — occupational health and safety requirements

Specific Requirements

Multiple source languages: Documentation arrived in two languages — English (from international equipment suppliers) and Chinese (from NFC and Chinese contractors). Both streams had to be translated into Russian.
Technical specificity: The project used advanced Chinese aluminum smelting technology with GAMI and NEUI electrolytic cells rated at 320–330 kA, previously unused in Kazakhstan.
Tight deadlines: The first phase was built in a record 27 months (2005–2007). Documentation was needed immediately to keep construction moving.
Critical accuracy: Errors in technical documentation for an $850 million facility could have caused:
- Construction delays
- Incorrect installation of equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars
- Industrial accidents
- Multimillion-dollar losses
Regulatory requirements: Documentation had to comply with Kazakhstani construction codes and international safety standards.

The Solution

Our Approach

iText organized a comprehensive translation process to meet the required quality and deadlines:

1. Building a Specialized Team

Technical translators specializing in metallurgy and industrial construction
Chinese translators — an essential skill that was rare in Kazakhstan’s market
Engineer-editors for technical review and terminology control
A project manager to coordinate with NFC Kazakhstan

2. Technology Infrastructure

CAT tools (Smartcat) used to:
- Build a unified project terminology database
- Keep translations consistent across documents
- Speed up work on recurring passages
- Check quality at every stage
File format management:
- Work with CAD drawings while preserving the original formatting
- Process technical specifications in Excel
- Translate project documents in Word/PDF
- Adapt Chinese designation standards for Kazakhstani practice

3. Quality Control

Three-stage QA process:

Translation — by a specialized translator
Technical editing — review by a metallurgical engineer
Final proofreading — checks of formatting and consistency

Specialized glossaries:

Aluminum smelting terminology (Russian–English–Chinese)
Construction terminology
Equipment and component designations
HSE terminology

4. Work Organization

Prioritization: Documents essential to starting construction were translated first
Parallel processing: English and Chinese documents were handled simultaneously
Direct communication: Engineers at NFC Kazakhstan were consulted promptly on terminology questions
Flexibility: The team was ready for urgent requests and changing priorities

Results

Quantitative Results

Translation volume: Full package of technical documentation for an $850 million plant
Language pairs: English→Russian + Chinese→Russian
Collaboration period: 2006–2010 (all construction phases)
Document types: Design and cost-estimate documentation, drawings, instructions, specifications, HSE documents

Qualitative Results

1. Successful Project Completion

The Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter was built and commissioned in record time:

September 2007 — first phase commissioned (125,000 metric tons/year)
June 2010 — second phase commissioned (full capacity of 250,000 metric tons/year)
The second-phase opening ceremony was personally led by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev

2. Recognition of Project Quality

The KAS received numerous national and international awards:

Silver medal for excellence in engineering construction (Kazakhstan)
President of Kazakhstan’s Altyn Sapa Award — “Quality Leader” (2016)
Product registration on the London Metal Exchange (LME, 2009)
EBA European Quality Award
Ranked among the top ten aluminum plants worldwide out of 200 plants

3. Formal Recognition from the Client

NFC Kazakhstan LLP formally thanked iText translation agency:

“NFC Kazakhstan LLP thanks iText translation agency for the fast, high-quality translation of a large volume of technical documentation from English into Russian and recommends iText translation agency as a responsible and professional partner.”

— N. Jinjun, Deputy General Manager for Finance, NFC Kazakhstan LLP

4. Long-Term Collaboration

Successful delivery of the KAS project led to:

Continued collaboration with NFC Kazakhstan on its other projects in Kazakhstan
A reputation as a reliable partner for major EPC contractors
Greater expertise in translation for Belt and Road Initiative projects

iText Expertise Applied to the Project

Technical Capabilities

✓ Metallurgy: Aluminum smelting, production technology, prebaked anodes
✓ Industrial construction: Design and cost-estimate documentation, drawings, installation diagrams
✓ Equipment: Electrolytic cell specifications, process equipment
✓ HSE: Occupational safety, industrial safety, environmental requirements

Language Capabilities

✓ Chinese→Russian: A rare specialization in Kazakhstan’s market
✓ English→Russian: Technical English for industry
✓ Standards adaptation: Chinese standards → Kazakhstani requirements

Project Management

✓ Working with major international contractors
✓ Managing multilingual projects
✓ Meeting tight deadlines
✓ Quality control to international standards

Project Significance

For Kazakhstan

The first aluminum production facility in independent Kazakhstan’s history
The largest private investment in metallurgy ($850–900 million)
A key element of the aluminum cluster in Pavlodar Region
Creation of high-tech jobs (1,500 people)

For iText

Proof of its ability to work on megaprojects (>$500 million)
Distinctive expertise in translation for Chinese EPC contractors
A reference project for Belt and Road Initiative work
Demonstrated capability in metallurgy and industrial construction

Applying This Experience

Experience gained on the KAS project applies directly to current and future industrial projects in Kazakhstan:

Chinese Investment Projects

China invested $23 billion under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2025. Current projects include:

Mining complexes (Bozshakol, Aktogay)
Metallurgical plants
Petrochemical facilities
Infrastructure projects

All require technical documentation translated from Chinese and English.

ERG and Other Industrial Giants

ERG continues to carry out major projects:

Modernization of existing facilities
New mining projects (Bolashak deposit — $2 billion)
Environmental projects

Growing Demand for Technical Translation

The B2B industrial translation market in Kazakhstan is estimated at hundreds of millions of tenge annually
Shortage of translators specializing in technical Chinese
No specialized agencies positioning themselves as experts in industrial translation

Why This Case Study Matters

Scale: $850 million demonstrates capacity to work on the largest projects
Complexity: An EPC contract, two language pairs, and critical accuracy requirements
Reference: Work with a Chinese state-owned company ranked among the world’s Top 250 contractors
Result: A formal client recommendation
Relevance: Direct application to the current surge of Chinese investment in Kazakhstan

Conclusion

The Kazakhstan Aluminium Smelter project demonstrates iText’s ability to translate technical documentation for industrial megaprojects to international quality standards.

Our Chinese and English translation expertise, deep understanding of metallurgical processes, and experience with major EPC contractors make iText a reliable partner for industrial companies pursuing Belt and Road Initiative projects and other major industrial investments in Kazakhstan.