Energy Ministry Clarifies Electricity Import-Export Pricing Disparity

At a government briefing, Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yesimkhanov addressed the pricing imbalance between Kazakhstan’s electricity imports from Russia and its exports to the same country, Orda.kz reports.

According to Yesimkhanov, the difference is due to peak demand periods and the structure of market-based energy trading.

In the evening, especially during colder months, we experience a power deficit. During these peak hours, we are forced to purchase electricity from neighboring countries, particularly Russia, at higher prices. These are typically planned short-term purchases, lasting an hour or two, when demand exceeds supply. At the same time, at night, we often have a surplus of electricity, which we can export, usually at lower prices, since demand during those hours is much lower,he explained.  

He also noted that the Ministry of Energy is actively conducting maintenance and repair work at energy facilities to reduce emergency outages and boost domestic production capacity, aiming to achieve energy surplus in the near future.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov