NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — The Kazakh Government session on October 29, chaired by Prime Minister Askar Mamin, reviewed the development of renewable energy sources in Kazakhstan, the prime minister’s press service reported.
In Kazakhstan, there are 83 renewable energy facilities with an installed capacity of 936.8 MW, including 18 wind farms, 27 solar plants, 35 hydroelectric power plants, and three bioelectric power plants. Of these, only this year 15 facilities with a capacity of 405.17 MW were commissioned. Until the end of this year it is planned to commission 4 renewable energy facilities with a capacity of 104.8 MW — 1 wind power station in the North Kazakhstan region, 2 solar power stations in the Kyzylorda region, and 1 hydroelectric power station in the East Kazakhstan region, which will increase the total capacity of renewable energy facilities to 1042 MW — almost twice as much as in 2018 (531.63 MW). By 2025, at least 3,000 MW of installed renewable energy capacity will be operational.
“As world practice shows, today the development of alternative energy sources is the most important trend in attracting investment and improving the environment. Over the past ten years, global renewable energy capacities have quadrupled — from 414 GW to 1,650 GW; global investment over the same period will soon reach $2.6 trillion. By the end of 2019, 87 renewable energy facilities with a capacity of 1,042 MW will be operating in Kazakhstan. Investments amounted to 406 billion tenge,” Mamin said.
The prime minister noted that Kazakhstan held an international auction for the implementation of renewable energy projects with an installed capacity of 3 thousand MW, in which 138 companies from 12 countries took part.
“Now the prices for wind and solar electricity are reduced. For a wider use of renewable energy, I instruct you [the government] to develop state support measures that stimulate their development,” Mamin said.
In order to improve the investment attractiveness of renewable energy projects, the prime minister instructed the Ministry of Energy to provide for amendments to existing legislation, taking into account international experience.
The prime minister emphasized that the leaders in the number of renewable energy sources in Kazakhstan are Almaty, Zhambyl, and East Kazakhstan regions, while in the West Kazakhstan and Aktobe regions there is not a single existing renewable energy facility.
“Akimats (regional administrations) should actively work with investors on renewable energy projects, expand their application to improve the environmental situation in the regions,” said the prime minister.
