The project of the Yesilsky counterregulator has passed state expertise
In Kazakhstan, the project of construction of the Yesilsky counterregulator in Akmola region, also known as the Buzuluk reservoir, has received a positive conclusion of the state examination. According to the project developers, a new large-scale hydraulic engineering facility located on the Yesil River will solve the problem of seasonal flooding and provide the agricultural sector of the region with water resources. Obtaining permits opens the way to the start of construction and installation works, which are scheduled for the current 2026 year, and the commissioning of the facility is expected by 2028.
The path of the Yesilsky counterregulator project to implementation turned out to be long and difficult. The development of design and estimate documentation began back in 2021, but the completion dates have been repeatedly postponed. The contracting organization Ulmad LLP did not meet the initial schedule, which assumed the delivery of the project by the end of 2023. The process was hampered by issues of registration of land plots, as well as the need to make adjustments to engineering solutions. Large-scale floods in the spring of 2024, which caused serious consequences for the region, became an additional factor for speeding up work and finalizing the project in order to increase its reliability.
Administratively, the new hydroelectric power plant will be located on the territory of the Yesilsky and Zharkayynsky districts of the Akmola region. The dam gates will be located 1.8 kilometers upstream from the village of Kurskoye and 15 kilometers from the Esil railway station. The length of the planned earthen dam will be about 3600 meters. The new facility will allow to delay the outflow of the three main tributaries of the Yesil River – Kalkutan, Zhabaya and Terisakkan, which form the maximum volume of water during the spring flood. The design capacity of the counterregulator will allow accumulating up to 873 million cubic meters of water.
Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of Kazakhstan Yerbolat Ibraikhanov explained the importance of the new facility for the country’s water security. According to him, the counterregulator will allow to retain and redirect part of the flood waters, which will ensure their safe passage in the lower reaches of the Yesil River. This is critically important for the stable operation of the Sergeyevsky and Petropavlovsk reservoirs located downstream in the North Kazakhstan region, and will help prevent flooding of settlements during the flood period.
The financing of the large-scale construction will be carried out with the involvement of international investments. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately 120 billion tenge. In early December 2025, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which will provide funds for the implementation of this initiative.
Original (in Russian): Проект Есильского контррегулятора прошел госэкспертизу
