Kazakhstan is advancing the modernization of its waste management system with the launch of new waste-to-energy projects in Astana and Shymkent, its second- and third-largest cities.
On October 31, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources announced the signing of investment agreements with China’s Shaanxi Construction Engineering Kazakhstan Co., Ltd. and East Hope LLP to construct the new facilities.
In Astana, East Hope LLP will invest approximately $180 million to build a plant with a daily processing capacity of 1,500 tons of municipal solid waste, equating to around 550,000 tons per year.
In Shymkent, Shaanxi Construction Engineering Kazakhstan Co., Ltd. will invest $100 million in a plant capable of processing 1,000 tons of waste daily, around 360,000 tons annually.
Together, the two projects are expected to create more than 550 jobs during the construction phase and approximately 200 permanent positions once operational.
The plants aim to significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills while generating clean electricity, contributing to Kazakhstan’s broader environmental and energy goals.
In August, the Ministry signed a separate agreement with China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co. Ltd. to construct Kazakhstan’s first waste-to-energy facility in Almaty. That plant will process at least 1,600 tons of solid waste daily and generate up to 60 megawatts of electricity. The total investment in the Almaty project is estimated at $269 million.
