Kazakhstan is preparing to launch projects for waste-to-energy facilities, turning municipal waste into electricity through thermal processing, Qazinform News Agency reports. According to the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry, agreements have already been signed with three Chinese investors.
The projects will be implemented in the cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent that generate the largest volumes of waste, ensuring stable plant operations and higher electricity output. Investors from South Korea, Japan, and Turkiye have expressed interest in developing such projects.
Waste-to-energy is applied only after sorting and recycling useful fractions, as mandated by the Ecological Code (2021). The Ecology Ministry emphasizes that thermal waste utilization does not replace sorting. Recyclable materials must be extracted from the general stream before entering the furnace.
The priority sequence remains: first sorting and recovery of useful raw materials, then energy recovery of the residual waste, and finally landfill disposal of what remains. According to the Ministry’s estimates, after thermal processing only 5–10% of the original waste volume remains.
This means that even with the introduction of waste-to-energy plants, landfills will still be necessary, though their role in the waste management system will change — serving mainly for the disposal of minimal residues. Plants must comply with European standards and be equipped with automatic emission monitoring systems.
Major investments will be directed to filters and cleaning systems to ensure safety. Kazakhstan currently has no operating incineration plants. The economic model of future projects will center on selling generated electricity. The Ministry notes that incineration will not replace landfills, but will change their role in waste management.