Kazakhstan ups power generation via renewable energy sources
By Aynur Jafarova
Kazakhstan posted an increase in the volume of electricity generated through renewable energy sources in 2012.
Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev said that the volume of power generated through renewable energy sources amounted to 450.34 million KW/h in 2012, which exceeds the 2011 figure by 6 percent.
Speaking about energy projects, Issekeshev said 25 such projects were implemented throughout the country, including the construction of the Bolotov unit on the Rozhdenstvensky cordon and solar unit on the roof of the Gumilev Eurasian National University.
Moreover, five small hydropower plants with total capacity of about 20 MWt and the Karatal Hydro Power Station-4 with a capacity of 3.5 MWt were put into operation on the mountainous rivers in the Almaty region as part of the Industrialization Map Project.
Issekeshev also noted that a pilot project on the first solar power plant is being implemented in the Green Village, where residents have lacked electricity for 18 years. The project allowed to resolve the power supply problem there.
A similar project was launched in the Kyzylorda province. Following the installation of the wind-diesel electric power unit the issue of power supply in the remote village of Azhar was resolved.
Also, a wind turbine with a capacity of 1.5 MWt was installed in the Kordai village along with a solar power plant in the Otar village of the Zhambyl region.
Earlier, Issekeshev announced that the volume of power generation in Kazakhstan reached 90.2 billion KW/h in 2012, a 5 percent rise compared to 2001.
Kazakhstan established legal framework for increasing energy efficiency in the country in 2011 by adopting the Complex Plan on Energy Efficiency for 2012-2015.