Kazakhstan May Build Planned Thermal Power Plants Independently Amid Delays in Russian Financing

Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov spoke about the fate of three thermal power plants that Russia had previously planned to build, Orda.kz reports.

According to him, the government decided back in the summer to implement the Kokshetau CHP project using its own resources.

The Kazakh side officially notified Russia of this during the prime minister's working visit.

Excavation work at the thermal power plant (TPP) has been underway this fall; site preparation has been underway for six months. The client is the Ministry of Energy. We have handed over this project to Samruq Energy, meaning Samruq Energy will carry out all work on this TPP,
 the minister said at a briefing in Astana.

The situation with the other two thermal power plants is different. Kazakhstan has yet to receive a response from the Russian Federation regarding concessional financing.

As Akkenzhenov noted, the issue of an intergovernmental loan is raised by the Kazakh side regularly, "at opportune moments," but no concrete decision has yet been made.

In the future, if the situation continues to develop in the same way, Kazakhstan will have to implement these projects on its own,
added the head of the Ministry of Energy.

Previously, Roman Sklyar stated that Kazakhstan could replace the investor for three thermal power plants — in Kokshetau, Semey, and Oskemen — because Russia was experiencing financing issues.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov