“Phytocapture” technology from the Kazakhstan Research Institute helps capture dust in the air near a gold mine 

China's Zijin Mining, one of the world's largest gold producers, plans to begin construction of a $500 million processing plant in Kazakhstan this year following its $1.2 billion acquisition of Kazakh gold miner RG Gold in 2025.

As part of its expansion, RG Gold is implementing a comprehensive environmental protection program. As of November 2025, the company had planted more than 100,000 Scots pine trees near its Raygorodok mine in Kazakhstan to capture dust particles generated by open-pit mining.

The Research Institute for Sustainable Development of Kazakhstan (NISU), an environmental think tank at Narxoz University in Almaty, is collaborating with RG Gold to implement this innovative “phytocapture” technology.

The initiative is based on a method of trapping fine dust particles in the air using vegetation. SCRI's technology identifies the most suitable tree species and sets the optimal spacing between them for maximum dust collection efficiency using advanced supercomputer modeling based on big data, including regional wind rose patterns.

Narxoz University, backed by Kazakh businessman and philanthropist Bulat Utemuratov through his investment group Verny Capital, has become a regional leader in sustainability research, ranking first among private universities in Kazakhstan in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in 2022. Its research arm, the Research Institute for Sustainable Development of Kazakhstan (SKRI), has developed phytocapture technologies. Vegetation barriers using this technology have been planted at several gold mines in the country, including RG Gold in 2024. After joining the Zijin Mining Group, the company continued this practice as part of its environmental initiatives.

In the current phase, Scots pine seedlings have been selected to create a vegetative barrier over an area of ​​over 20 hectares, complemented by a continuous grass cover to stabilize the soil and increase the ability to retain dust particles in the air. SKRI's phytocapture method has been recognized as best practice under the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents.

Scientific precision and computer modeling created a multi-layer barrier system—not just landscaping—using native plant species that reduces particulate matter concentrations by more than 40%, according to Arman Markashov, general counsel for RG Gold. RG Gold and SKRI are jointly implementing a carefully designed environmental project that meets ESG standards and sustainability goals.

In accordance with the mine's expansion plans, a shelterbelt of forest has been created approximately 1.7 kilometers downwind of current operations.

“Once pollution sources move closer to the forest edge, this plantation could capture approximately a third of dust emissions, turning long-term land restoration efforts into a powerful environmental protection system for nearby communities,” said Brendan Dupre, director of SKRI.