China is ready to build HPPs and PSPPs in Kazakhstan
Chinese companies are interested in participating in projects for the construction of pumped-storage power plants (HPPs) in Kazakhstan, Director of the Renewable Energy Department of the Ministry of Energy Jaslan Kasenov said.
“One of the new directions that is being considered is the direction of development of pumped-storage power plants together with colleagues from Samruk-Energo, together with colleagues from the fund (Samruk-Kazyna). This issue is being worked out, possible development scenarios are being discussed, various platforms for their implementation are being considered. A number of Chinese investors are interested in working together in this direction,” he said at the Power Central Asia + China forum.
To develop the existing potential of the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, a plan for the development of the country’s hydropower industry was developed, which provides for the creation of an atlas of hydropower. The document allows the possibility of point-by-point implementation of projects for the full development of the potential of existing rivers.
“Work is underway with the Asian Development Bank to conduct so-called project auctions, where the ministry will develop Pre–TEO (preliminary feasibility study), Pre-EOS (environmental impact assessment), pre-project documentation, preliminary environmental studies will be conducted in order to hold auctions at certain sites,” Kasenov said..
In 2026, auctions are expected to be held in the Zhetysu region along the Tentek River, where the total capacity will be at least 300 MW with the construction of dam-type hydroelectric power plants. In addition, according to the auction plan, it is planned to hold auctions for HPPs with a total capacity of more than 1.5 GW by 2027.
In his opinion, the direction of hydropower will become one of those mechanisms that will further develop and increase the share of unstable renewable energy in the overall generation structure of Kazakhstan.
“Today, the renewable energy sector in the energy sector is represented by 156 renewable energy facilities, most of which are wind and solar generation, and to a lesser extent, unfortunately, hydropower and bioelectric power plants are represented. Of the volume of renewable energy that is represented today in the energy sector, about half are projects implemented with the participation of companies from the Chinese (People’s. – “Italics”) That is, today, if we have an installed capacity of more than 3 GW, about 1.7 GW of them are sold by Chinese companies,” he said.
The head of the department said that the implementation of new projects in Kazakhstan is currently being discussed with companies such as China Power and China Energy. By the end of 2024, the share of renewable energy generation in the total generation structure amounted to 6.43%. By 2030, the republic plans to increase this figure to 15%.
In 2025, it was planned to introduce an additional 450 MW of renewable energy, of which three renewable energy stations have already been commissioned. This is a wind power plant in Karaganda region and two solar power plants with a capacity of 40 MW each in the southern regions of Kazakhstan.
“We expect that by 2030, the established indicators that we have set – 15% by 2030 – are quite feasible and achievable, taking into account all the projects that are planned to be implemented by 2030. This is at least 8 GW of new capacity. According to a realistic scenario, by 2030 the share of renewable energy in the total generation structure of the country will be about 16%,” said the representative of the Ministry of Energy.
According to him, there are already companies that are ready to implement large renewable energy projects on their own. In particular, an auction was held at which the contractor of a large project for the construction of a 1 GW wind power plant with an energy storage system of 300 MW was selected. The auction was won by the Kazakh company Turan Wind Energy. Kasenov said that a 51% stake in the winning company belongs to the Kazakh side, and 49% to the Chinese Universal Energy, Kasenov said.
The project will be implemented in Kostanay region. The cost of electricity will be 18.72 tenge, or about 3.6 US cents per kWh. In April, it was reported that Turan Wind Energy became the winner of the auction for the construction of a wind power plant (WPP) with a capacity of 1000 MW, which is planned to be built in the north of Kazakhstan, the auction organizer KOREM said. The co-owners of Turan Wind Energy is the former chairman of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (headed the National Bank in 1996-1998) Oraz Zhandosov, Singapore Universal International Engineering Holding PTE LTD. and Yerlan Kozhasbai via Sadu EcoPower.
For comparison, the cost of electricity from a 1 GW wind farm with a 300 MW storage system with Total Eren will be 3.99 cents per kWh (the length of the transmission line will be 230 km), for a 1 GW wind farm with Masdar and a 300 MW storage system – 4.49 cents per kWh (the length of the transmission line is 425 km)., a 500 MW wind farm with a 150 MW storage system with Chinese Energy China – 4.25 cents per kWh (the length of the transmission line is 15 km), a 300 MW Energy China solar power plant with a 90 MW energy storage system – 5.63 cents (the length of the transmission line is 15 km), a 1 GW wind farm with CPIH and an accumulation system of 300 MW – 4.25 cents per kWh (transmission line – 120 km). A 1 GW SES and a 300 MW energy storage system will be built by Unigreen (the length of the transmission line is determined, and the cost of electricity is not disclosed by the Ministry of Energy).
Zhanbolat Mamyshev (“Italics”)
Original (in Russian): Китай готов строить в Казахстане ГЭС и ГАЭС
