ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 21. Kazakhstan plans to
deploy a network of energy storage systems (ESS) with a total
capacity of 1.6 GW and construct its first pumped-storage
hydropower plants (PSHPs), Trend reports via the Ministry of Energy of
Kazakhstan.
The project was announced during a meeting of the ministry's
Public Council, chaired by Zhakyp Khairushev and attended by Vice
Minister Sungat Yesimkhanov.
The development of the energy storage market is driven by the
increasing integration of renewable energy sources into the
national grid. These industrial storage units are designed to
harvest electricity generated by wind and solar farms and release
it back into the network during peak consumption hours.
Currently, international companies including TotalEnergies,
Masdar, China Power, and China Energy are involved in constructing
wind farms with capacities of up to 1 GW each. The framework of
each project requires the installation of a 300 MW energy storage
system.
Additionally, to improve grid flexibility and balance load
fluctuations, the country is exploring the construction of
pumped-storage hydropower facilities. Two PSHP projects are
currently under review in the Almaty region. These plants will
function by pumping water to an upper reservoir during periods of
surplus electricity and releasing it through turbines to generate
power when demand spikes.
