Baku, Azerbaijan, October 2
By Nargiz Sadikhova – Trend:
Currently, the electric energy sector of Kazakhstan fully covers the demand of the country’s economy and citizens, but at the same time it should be rapidly developing, Director of Oil-Qas and Energy Sector Development Department of KAZENERGY Association Yaromir Rabay told Trend.
He noted, that first and foremost - sufficiency in generating capacities in the country is one of the ways to provide for long-term security of electricity supply.
“Taking into consideration the increase of electricity consumption and development of generating capacities in Kazakhstan, as well as the enhance of quality and security of electricity supply, the further development of electricity infrastructure is needed,” Rabay said.
This is why, according to him, work on reconstruction and modernization of existing electric stations, modernization of national electric grid, construction and reconstruction of regional electric grids is being considered.
Rabay also reminded that a new plan has been introduced in Kazakhstan in January 2019 in order to implement further modernization of the energy system and to introduce new generating capacities.
“The purpose is to attract investments into support of existing and construction of new electric capacities in the country to meet the demand for electrical power,” he said.
According to the official, special conditions for sale of electricity produced via renewable energy sources have been created in Kazakhstan.
“Legislative framework developed in Kazakhstan for support of renewable energy sources oversees the most favorable level of regulation stability. In 2017 the amendments which oversee the auctions for decrease of electricity prices among new renewable energy sources projects have been made to the ‘on support of renewable energy source’ law,” Rabay noted.
He further added, that in the end of 2018, construction of interregional grid ‘North-East-South’ has been finished.
“This allowed to increase the transit potential of the national electric grid in the North-South direction up to 2,100 MW and to enhance the quality of electricity supply for consumers,” Rabay added.
Furthermore, according to the official, Kazakhstan is planning to approve legislative requirements on introduction of best available technologies on coal-based electric stations and major heating plants and to switch to more strict emission regulations.
“Modernization and introduction of new technologies is necessary in conditions when the coal based electric stations prevail in structure of generation, however effectively operating mechanisms, which allow to attract investments are necessary for that,” Rabay concluded.
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