Kazakhstan to allocate over 1 trillion tenge for energy infrastructure repairs
The Kazakh Government will allocate more than 1 trillion tenge to modernize the country’s energy and utility infrastructure, Qazinform News Agency quotes Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yesimkhanov as saying at a Government's meeting.
He said that, as part of preparations for the upcoming heating season, major repairs are scheduled this year for nine power units, 55 boilers, and 51 turbines.
Repair works are currently underway at various stages on 4 power units, 18 boilers, and 7 turbines. Repairs have already been completed on 1 boiler and 1 turbine.
“Funding for repair works at power plants is planned at 384 billion tenge, which is 9% higher than last year,” Yesimkhanov noted.
Repairs have already covered 1,200 km of power lines and 54 substations across the grid.
A total of 377 km of heat networks are slated for reconstruction and repair, with work to commence following hydraulic and temperature tests. The vice minister noted that there are currently no delays.
The level of wear and tear of core equipment is expected to decrease to 52% at power plants, 65.7% in electricity networks, and 48% in heat networks.
The country is also pressing ahead with its National Project to modernize the energy and utilities sectors.
“The project provides for the modernization of 130 km of heat networks and 10,490 km of electricity networks this year, with total funding amounting to 626.8 billion tenge,” he said.
A total of 25.4 billion tenge will be allocated from the government reserve to seven regions to support stable heat and power supply.
Funds have already been allocated to East Kazakhstan, as well as to the Zhetysu and Abai regions.
In line with the Head of State’s directive, construction of a district boiler house is underway in the southwestern residential area of Taldykorgan. In East Kazakhstan region, repairs are being carried out on boilers No. 5 and 6 at the Ridder thermal power plant, as well as on 12 sections of the city’s heat network. In Abai region, repair works are ongoing at CHP-1 and boiler houses in Semey.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s Energy Vice Minister Sungat Yesimkhanov has commented on the potential increase in coal costs in Kazakhstan.