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Kazakhstan eyes possibilities of power exports to China, Afghanistan and Pakistan

13 July 2017 17:22 (UTC+04:00)
Kazakhstan eyes possibilities of power exports to China, Afghanistan and Pakistan

By Kamila Aliyeva

The energy-rich Central Asian nation, Kazakhstan is studying the possibilities of exporting electricity to China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev announced about this at a conference on energy transformation, Kazinform reported.

“China is a global player, a big market. For several years we studied the possibilities of electricity supply. Of course, we do not have any connection today and the possibility of transmitting, but this is a matter of time,” he said.

Bozumbayev noted that there is an increase in consumption by China, especially by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

“Probably, we will cooperate more closely, it is possible to export electricity,” he said.

The minister also noted that Kazakhstan considers it expedient to export electricity to the Central Asian countries and observes the development of the electricity transmission system to Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is being conducted by Tajikistan.

The national company KEGOK builds a powerful power transmission line connecting the energy-rich central and northern regions of Kazakhstan with the energy-deficient south, according to Bozumbayev.

Other electricity development projects in the south will give an opportunity in the future to join the export routes currently being developed in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Currently, Kazakhstan exports electricity to Russia.

The electric power industry remains a key factor in Kazakhstan’s industrial development and economic growth. The government of Kazakhstan has developed an action plan for electric power development up to 2030, which includes a list of proposed power plants for modernization or reconstruction as well as the construction of new facilities.

Electricity in Kazakhstan is generated by 118 power plants of various form of ownership. The total installed capacity of power plants in Kazakhstan is 22055.5 MW and available capacity is 18789.1 MW.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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