BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 20. Kazakhtan's future energy balance includes a nuclear power plant with an installed capacity of 2.4 gigawattes (GW) as a new source of basic generation, Trend reports via press service of Kazakh Energy Ministry.
"A number of projects are being implemented to commission generation sources to cover the mid-term demand for electricity. A number of investment agreements have been concluded within the framework of the power market, which allows existing stations to modernize and reconstruct their capacities," Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Bulat Aqchulaqov said at the Ministry Collegium.
Projects are currently being implemented that will allow the commissioning of 1,760 megawatts (MW) from 2022 through 2025 with a total investment of over 491 billion tenge ($971.8 million), minister noted.
Projects are being implemented for the construction of block 3 of the Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station, also the modernization of energy sources of the Almaty energy complex.
It is planned to hold auctions for flexible capacity projects with a total capacity of over 1,200 megawatts (MW) in 2022, he noted.
Work is underway to modernize the Kazakhstan’s Electricity Grid, including strengthening the energy system of the Western and Southern zones, joining the Western zone to the Unified Electric Power System of the Republic of Kazakhstan (UEPS), minister said.
According to the developed Energy Balance, electricity consumption will be about 153 billion kilowatts per hours (kWh) by 2035.
At the same time, the generation of currently operating energy sources will decrease for a number of reasons and will amount to about 89 billion kWh.
"The existing energy sources will not be able to cover the forecast needs of the population and the economy in electricity. It is required to ensure the commissioning of new generating capacities with a total capacity of 17.5 GW by 2035," Aqchulaqov added.
The generation sector is affected by a number of factors to reduce environmental impact, including commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, Energy Ministry noted.
The Energy Balance of the country provides for a nuclear power plant with an installed capacity of 2.4 GW as a new source of basic generation.
