ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding power generation, gasification and oil refining as Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov presented the latest measures to develop the country’s energy sector at a government press conference on Aug. 25. The measures focus on increasing generating capacity, expanding gas access and refinery output, and preparing the energy system for the upcoming heating season.
According to Energy Ministry data, Kazakhstan expects to commission around 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of new generating capacity this year and another 845 megawatts (MW) in 2027. The new facilities are expected to allow the country to fully cover domestic electricity needs by the first quarter of 2027, with a surplus expected by year-end.
Kazakhstan also plans more than 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-generation capacity by 2029, alongside gas-fired and renewable generation. Abishev said the main sources of additional generation will be modernized coal plants and gas-fired facilities, with wind and solar also contributing.
Nuclear power is unlikely to contribute significantly for another decade. But eliminating the current deficit will not necessarily reduce electricity demand. If Kazakhstan attracts large-scale industrial investment, new production facilities could consume substantial amounts of power.
Abishev also pointed to the country’s relatively low level of industrial automation and robotization as potential sources of future electricity demand. “The course toward increasing energy production is the right one,” he said, stressing the need to implement projects consistently and without delays.
New generating capacity is being developed to address shortages in the southern energy zone, including projects at Almaty Combined Heat and Power Plant No. 2 (CHP-2) and CHP-3, a 1,000-megawatt (MW) plant in Turkistan and the recently commissioned 240-megawatt (MW) plant in Kyzylorda.
The southern grid will be strengthened through the 500-kilovolt (kV) Shu–Zhambyl and Zhambyl-Shymkent transmission lines. The Ulke-Karabatan project will connect the Western and Unified Power Systems. Modernization of Almaty CHP-2 is 94% complete. The upgraded plant will provide up to 557 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 957 gigacalories (Gcal) of heat.