Kazakhstan to Expand Small Hydropower Capacity at 32 Water Facilities

The Kazakhstan state enterprise Kazvodkhoz is set to expand electricity production across the country’s water management infrastructure. Under an approved roadmap, 32 sites have been selected for the development of small hydropower plants in the near future. This initiative focuses on the commercial and industrial utilization of the hydroelectric potential at existing dams and water conveyance structures.

Technical design and cost estimates are currently being finalized for the first three projects. These initial generating facilities will be constructed at the Samarkand reservoir in the Karaganda region, the Kargaly reservoir in the Aktobe region, and the Karacol reservoir in the Abay region. In addition to these primary projects, technical specialists are conducting engineering calculations to assess the feasibility of construction at 23 further locations.

Priority sites for subsequent development include the Karatomarskoye and Verkhne-Tobolskoye reservoirs in the Kostanay region – as well as major irrigation arteries such as the Ayak-Kunchan main canal in the Zhetysu region and the Great Keles Canal in the Turkestan region. Private capital is being secured to finance the construction. Specifically, Kazvodkhoz has signed a memorandum with a specialized investor for the installation of hydraulic units along transit sections of the Great Almaty Canal in the Enbekshikazakh district.

The implementation of this program is expected to bring the total generating capacity at the water management agency’s facilities to 30 megawatts. The state company currently operates several small hydropower assets, including the Sergeyevskaya plant in the North Kazakhstan region, the Intumak plant in the Karaganda region, and the Dostyk plant on the Khorgos River.