BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. Construction of a new
700 MW condensing power plant (CPP) has officially begun in the
city of Kurchatov in Abai region, Kazakhstan, the country's
Ministry of Energy announced.
This was reported by the press office of the Ministry of Energy
of Kazakhstan following a time capsule laying ceremony held as part
of the project's launch.
"The new power plant is aimed at strengthening the country’s
energy security, reducing the risk of electricity shortages in the
national power system, and creating additional conditions for
industrial development and investment attraction in the region,"
the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the total cost of the project amounts
to 759 billion tenge ($1.6 billion), with implementation scheduled
for 2026–2032. Once operational, the plant is expected to generate
up to 5 billion kWh of electricity annually, significantly boosting
the region’s industrial capacity.
Kazakhstan has adopted a National Project for the development of
coal-based generation, under which 7.8 GW of new and modernized
capacity is planned, including the construction of eight new power
plants.
The new construction program covers key energy hubs across the
country and includes a 700 MW CPP in Kurchatov, the large-scale
2,640 MW Ekibastuz GRES-3, thermal power plants in Karaganda (350
MW) and Ekibastuz (180 MW), as well as new combined heat and power
plants in Zhezkazgan (500 MW), Kokshetau (240 MW), Semey (360 MW),
and Oskemen (360 MW).
Kazakhstan’s Condensing Power Plants (CPPs) and Combined Heat
and Power Plants (CHPs) generate the vast majority of the country's
electricity. While CPPs focus solely on electricity, CHPs produce
both power and district heating. The system currently relies
heavily on fossil fuels, but is undergoing massive modernization to
curb pollution and add capacity.
