Orken Partners
Localisation of industrial and infrastructure projects in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Orken Partners accompanies foreign companies in manufacturing, energy and infrastructure projects in the Republic of Kazakhstan. We organise legal establishment, regulatory assessment and adaptation of the design documentation. Design and construction are performed by EPCM Construction under a separate contract, on the basis of Category I licences for design and construction works.
Stages of market entry
Work proceeds in a fixed order. Each stage produces a defined set of documents or decisions. The next stage does not start until the previous one is closed, including filings with the competent authorities where required.
01
Legal establishment
Registration of the legal entity, appointment of a director, opening of a bank account, tax and currency registration, and residence permits for employees of the client company. Without this stage, contracts and payments in Kazakhstan cannot be executed in the investor’s name.
02
Pre-project assessment
Review of applicable codes, climatic and seismic conditions, the technical possibility of grid connection, and local-content rules while the capital budget can still be revised.
03
Import, assembly or local manufacturing
The operating model is selected together with land, partners and the future composition of the design documentation. This decision determines the scope of licences, utilities and the construction contract.
04
Design documentation
The foreign engineering design is adapted to the standards of the Republic of Kazakhstan, including the sections required for state expert review. Design work is performed by EPCM Construction under a Category I design licence.
05
Equipment procurement
Specifications, tendering, contracts and logistics are prepared for the agreed supply and for site conditions. Supply is not tied to a single original equipment manufacturer unless the investor so decides.
06
Build and start-up
General contracting, installation and start-up are performed by EPCM Construction under a separate contract. Headquarters receives progress reports; data is stored locally on the company's servers.
Scope of services
Orken Partners represents the interests of the foreign investor from the first filings with the authorities through commissioning. The blocks below set out the mandate and the boundary: which decisions remain with the state authorities and which with the construction partner.
Import, assembly or manufacturing in Kazakhstan
Operating model
The operating model is agreed before capital expenditure is committed. Import of a finished line, on-site assembly of a knocked-down line, or local manufacturing each imply different land, grid, staffing and local-content obligations. That choice is recorded before detailed design and before the general contract, so that later stages are not rebuilt.
View the processCompany and permits
Incorporation of the legal entity, residence permits for employees of the client company, bank, tax and currency filings, and the set of applications that the project will require. Orken Partners prepares the file; permits are issued only by the competent authorities.
Market-entry model
Local content, joint venture or wholly owned presence, land and connection to networks are agreed before the construction contract, so that the design documentation matches the chosen model.
Design for Kazakhstan
The foreign engineering design and supplier documentation are adapted to Kazakhstan design law, climate and seismic conditions. EPCM Construction compiles the documentation and submits it for state expert review.
Site audit and supervision
Audit of design documentation, audit of construction and installation works, and technical supervision on a third-party site. These mandates are not combined with construction of the same facility.
Forms of engagement
A proposal follows the project type, origin country and current stage.
Diagnostic · 4–8 weeks
Project diagnostic
A written assessment of the legal structure, required permits, grid connection, climatic and seismic conditions, local content and capital risks. The output is a sequence of work and a list of open questions before capital expenditure is committed.
from USD 28 000
Retainer · monthly
Market-entry retainer
Ongoing legal counsel, filings with authorities, localisation decisions, and coordination of the designer and contractor while the investor’s team remains abroad. The retainer covers project management of the sequence, not construction works.
from USD 8 000 / month
Owner’s side
Owner’s representative
Representation of the investor during construction, installation and commissioning: coordination with the general contractor, acceptance of stages, and reporting to headquarters. The general contract with EPCM Construction is concluded separately.
from 0.8% of capex
Independent review
Independent site audit
Review of design documentation and construction works on a site that is not built by our construction partner under this mandate. The deliverable is a report for headquarters. EPCM Construction does not act as general contractor of the same facility.
from USD 35 000
Reporting
HQ monitoring platform
A visual monitoring system for named headquarters users: regular records of the full facility (360°, ground and air, concealed works, timelapse and path video, object map, access by role). Data is stored locally on the company's servers.
from USD 3 200 / month
Personnel and premises
Housing and land
Residence-permit support and housing for employees of the client company; selection of offices, warehouses and plots through specialised partners in the cities where the project operates.
On request
What you receive
We take a foreign company through every stage — from market entry to commissioning of the facility
You arrive with technology, equipment or an investment project. Orken Partners coordinates the full cycle: legal presence, the operating model, adaptation of the project to Kazakhstan law, procurement and commissioning. A full local office is not required at the outset. Design and construction are organised through licensed partners under separate contracts. Independent review of a third-party site is a separate service and is not combined with construction of the same facility.
Legal entry: company, director, bank, residence permits for client-company staff, and the filings the project will need
Operating model: import, assembly or manufacturing — decided before capital expenditure is fixed
Project for Kazakhstan: codes, climate, networks and state expert review
Through to commissioning: supply, works, reporting to headquarters, data stored locally on company servers
Sequence of work
The path is sequential: legal presence and assessment, then the operating model, then design and expert review, then construction and reporting.
1. Incorporation
The investor obtains a legal presence in Kazakhstan so that later contracts, payments and permits are executed in its name. Meetings with the delegation are arranged in Astana or Almaty when required. The operating office of Orken Partners is in Aktobe. Support continues through commissioning of the facility.
- Legal entity (LLP or another form as agreed), director, bank account, tax and currency registration
- Residence permits for employees of the client company, including specialists posted to the project
- Calendar of subsequent filings that depend on the type of project
2. Project assessment
Before capital expenditure is fixed, the project is reviewed against Kazakhstan law and site conditions. The result is a written list of risks and a recommended sequence, while the budget can still be adjusted.
- Applicable permits and the authority that issues each of them
- Grid connection: voltage class, distance, and whether a technical specification can be obtained
- Climate, seismic conditions and local-content implications for the chosen technology
3. Operating model
Import of a finished line, assembly of a knocked-down line, or local manufacturing are treated as different projects. Land, partners and utilities are agreed at this stage so that design does not have to be redone later.
- Choice of import, CKD assembly or manufacturing, including any joint-venture structure
- Land plot and connection to power, water and transport, in principle
- Allocation of responsibilities among the investor, Orken Partners and future contractors
4. Adaptation of the design
The foreign engineering design is adapted to the standards of the Republic of Kazakhstan and submitted for state expert review. Orken Partners represents the owner's interests; EPCM Construction compiles the documentation under a Category I design licence.
- Adaptation of supplier documentation to local design codes and climatic data
- Set of sections required for expert review and for subsequent construction permits
- Comments of the expert body and revision of the documentation until a positive conclusion is obtained
5. Construction and start-up
Equipment is purchased to the agreed specification. Construction, installation and start-up are performed by EPCM Construction under a separate general contract. Orken Partners remains the owner's representative at this stage.
- Specifications, tender and supply contracts without a mandatory single-OEM lock-in
- General contract: civil works, installation, commissioning and handover
- Acceptance of stages and notification of headquarters
6. Operation and reporting
After handover the facility is transferred to the operating organisation. Headquarters continues to receive progress or operational reporting. Data is stored locally on the company's servers. Housing and premises are arranged through partners if staff relocate.
- Handover documentation and operating arrangements
- Visual monitoring system: access for named headquarters users; photographs and site data stored locally on the company's servers
- Residence permits for employees of the client company, housing, office or warehouse where the project requires a local team
Frequently asked questions
How a foreign company enters Kazakhstan: from the legal entity to a facility in operation.
Where does market entry start?
With a legal presence in the investor’s name: legal entity, director, bank account, tax and currency registration, residence permits for employees of the client company. Contracts and payments in Kazakhstan cannot be executed without this stage. First meetings are held in Astana or Almaty as required. Support continues through commissioning; work can start without waiting for a general contractor.
What is checked before capital spend?
The list of permits, the feasibility of grid connection, climate and seismic conditions, local-content rules, and the choice between import, assembly and manufacturing. The deliverable is a written sequence of work while the budget can still be changed.
How do import, assembly and a local plant differ?
They are different projects. A finished line, a knocked-down supply and a plant in Kazakhstan imply different land, networks, staffing and local-content obligations. The operating model is recorded before detailed design so that later stages are not rebuilt.
Why can a foreign design not go straight to construction?
A foreign engineering design usually does not match the composition of documentation required in Kazakhstan. It is adapted to local law and climate and submitted for state expert review. Construction of a capital facility proceeds after a positive conclusion.
What happens after expert review?
Equipment is purchased for the site conditions. Installation and commissioning follow. Orken Partners remains the investor’s contracting party for the sequence. Design and construction works are performed by licensed contractors under separate agreements.
How does the investor monitor works from a distance?
Through a dedicated IT product: a digital platform for visual control of the site. Named headquarters users sign in remotely, by role. They work with an object map, 360° records, ground and aerial capture, concealed works, timelapse and path video. This is not pole CCTV and not a substitute for BIM: the site is recorded to a procedure and assembled in software. Files and access remain on the company's local servers.
Do you audit a site you are not building?
Yes. As a separate mandate we perform audit of design documentation, audit of construction and installation works, and technical supervision. These services are not combined with construction of the same facility.
Does the company guarantee land, licences or residence?
Land, licences and residence permits are issued by the competent authorities; Orken Partners does not substitute their decision. We prepare the file and accompany the procedure. We have substantial experience in these matters and know how to work with the authorities to obtain positive decisions.
Projects in Kazakhstan
Facilities in Kazakhstan
These are companies whose business we localised in Kazakhstan: the national grid, renewable generation, a pipe plant, an oilfield. The cards show operating facilities brought under Kazakhstan law and site conditions.
KEGOC
500 kV Ulke substation
Aktobe Region
A national-grid facility: the 500 kV substation and open switchyard operate under Kazakhstan codes and climatic conditions.
KEGOC
Ekibastuz 1150 kV
Pavlodar Region
A backbone extra-high-voltage node of the national network, with related 220–500 kV switchgear reconstructions at other grid sites.
Universal Energy
100 MW wind plant on the Kazakhstan grid
Kostanay Region and other sites
Foreign generation connected to the national network: 35/110/220 kV lines and switchyard expansion at Ulke. Related sites include Mars / Jupiter, Darmen Shuak and Next Green Energy.
Sungrow Qurylys
Argest and Beta Wind, 200 MW
Aktobe
A Chinese equipment manufacturer’s 200 MW wind plant sited and commissioned in Aktobe under local grid and construction rules.
QazExpoCentre-Pipe
Pipe plant, approximately 7,000 m²
Uralsk
A production building in Uralsk brought into line with Kazakhstan construction law: reconstruction of the hall and site infrastructure.
MunaiTas
Kenkiyak pumping station
Kenkiyak
An oil pumping station on an operating field modernised for service in Kazakhstan, including the video surveillance system.
Enquiry
Please indicate the type of project, the country of origin of the investment and the current stage: decision, land, design or construction.