ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has instructed government agencies to finalize an investment agreement with China Tianying Inc. within two weeks to support the construction of solid waste treatment plants in at least three major cities, advancing Kazakhstan’s waste recycling and waste-to-energy infrastructure.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov (R) with China Tianying Party Committee Secretary and President Debiao Cao (L) Photo credit: primeminister During a July 16 meeting with China Tianying Party Committee Secretary and President Debiao Cao, Bektenov discussed the implementation of investment projects in solid municipal waste recycling and energy recovery, the Prime Minister’s press service reported.
Bektenov highlighted the steady expansion of Kazakhstan-China economic cooperation, noting that bilateral trade reached $48 billion last year. He said the government is working toward the goal set by the two countries’ leaders to double trade turnover. China Tianying presented its experience in waste management and energy recovery, emphasizing that its technologies meet advanced European environmental standards.
The company operates across the full project cycle, from technology development and equipment manufacturing to construction and plant operation, and has projects in more than 30 countries. The officials also discussed the construction of small-scale waste treatment facilities with capacities ranging from 250 to 500 tons per day, designed for regions where waste volumes do not justify larger plants.
Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and other relevant agencies to accelerate negotiations and submit the investment agreement for approval within two weeks to ensure the timely implementation of the projects and the introduction of modern environmental and energy technologies.
Kazakhstan currently supports solid waste recycling projects through investment agreements, while electricity generated from waste-to-energy facilities is eligible for a tariff of up to 55 tenge (US$0,12) per kilowatt-hour. Last year, Kazakhstan signed investment agreements with Chinese companies to construct waste-to-energy plants in Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent.
The projects, valued at 293.3 billion tenge (US$622.8 million), will process a combined 4,500 tons of municipal waste per day, generate 134 megawatts of electricity, and create more than 300 permanent jobs. Similar projects are under consideration in Aktobe, Atyrau, Karagandy, and other cities.