ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 20. President of
Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for the accelerated
implementation of key energy projects to ensure the stability of
the national power system, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh
president.
Speaking at the 5th session of the National Kurultai, Tokayev
stated that the agenda includes the fast-tracked construction of
new combined heat and power plants (CHPs) in Kokshetau, Semey, and
Ust-Kamenogorsk. He acknowledged that decisions on these projects
have been delayed, despite strong public expectations.
The president also directed the relevant authorities to ensure
the timely completion of the power plant in Kurchatov, the
activation of additional generating units at Ekibastuz GRES-2, and
the commencement of construction on Ekibastuz GRES-3.
Tokayev emphasized the necessity of rapidly implementing
balancing capacities, particularly through gas-fired generation, to
enhance the resilience of the national energy system.
He further underscored the need to bolster Kazakhstan's natural
gas potential by exploring new reserves, as current gas production
is insufficient to meet the growing demands of the economy. He
pointed out that gas imports had risen by 18 percent last year,
reaching 4.5 billion cubic meters, while the pace of developing new
gas fields has been alarmingly slow.
The president characterized the current situation as a direct
consequence of inadequate planning, stressing that such an approach
is unacceptable, particularly in the face of the nation's current
extraordinary circumstances.
