BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 22. KazMunayGas (KMG) and Italian energy company Eni S.p.A. have generated the first industrial electricity at a 120 MW gas-fired power plant in Zhanaozen, Mangystau Region, KMG says.
The gas power facility is part of a 247 MW hybrid energy project combining gas, wind and solar generation capacities. The project includes a 120 MW gas-fired power plant, a 77 MW wind power facility currently under construction, and a 50 MW solar power plant, which has been operating since September 2025.
"As is known, in September 2025, KMG and Eni launched a solar power plant, which generated approximately 62 million kWh of electricity during its operation, confirming the efficiency of solar generation in the region," the statement says.
The gas plant is equipped with six Wartsila gas reciprocating engines and a 110 kV substation. Commissioning and adjustment works are currently underway, with final commercial acceptance and full operation scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.
More than 1,000 workers are involved in the construction and commissioning activities at the site. Once fully commissioned, the hybrid power complex is expected to provide electricity for KMG’s production facilities in the Mangystau Region, while increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the project’s generation mix.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy, Erlan Akkenzhenov, has instructed contractors to accelerate construction work at the Zhanaozen gas processing plant.
The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan notes that the project is being implemented under a 36-month engineering, procurement, and construction contract. However, after 29 months, which accounts for 81% of the scheduled period, the overall construction readiness of the plant stands at around 40%. Moreover, the ministry announced that the main delays are related to construction and installation works. The completion level of these works is currently 13%, while concrete works remain below planned volumes, with 7,500 cubic meters completed out of the planned 58,400 cubic meters.
