Kazakhstan has taken a major step toward modernizing its waste management infrastructure with the signing of a landmark investment agreement with China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co. Ltd. On August 29, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources announced that the company will build the country’s first waste-to-energy plant in Almaty.
The facility will be capable of incinerating at least 1,600 tons of solid municipal waste per day, generating 60 megawatts of electricity. The total investment in the project is estimated at 145 billion tenge (approximately $269 million).
The plant will utilize advanced waste-to-energy technology that complies with European Union emission standards. It will also be equipped with an automated system for continuous environmental monitoring. The project is expected to create around 700 jobs during construction and at least 120 permanent positions upon completion.
Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection has previously announced plans to invest up to $600 million in three waste-to-energy facilities across Kazakhstan.
Regional Expansion and Experience
The company is already active in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. In June, it began construction of a $95 million solid waste incineration facility in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city. That facility will generate both electricity and heat from municipal waste.
In Bishkek, Hunan Junxin is constructing a solid waste recycling facility at the city’s main landfill. The plant is initially expected to process 1,000 tons of waste per day, with capacity slated to increase to 3,000 tons by the time of its projected completion in December 2025.
In China, the company reported recycling 3.2 million tons of municipal waste in 2024, generating over 1.47 billion kWh of electricity.
