NUR-SULTAN – Italian investor Eni launched Kazakhstan’s largest wind power production project Dec. 18 in the Aktobe Region. The $100-million effort is also supported by Kazakh Invest and General Electric.
Photo credit: old.elorda.info.
Italian Ambassador in Kazakhstan Pasquale D’Avino, regional Akim (Governor) Ondassyn Urazalin, Eni Executive Vice President for the Central Asia region Luca Vignathi and Kazakh Invest Deputy Chair Birzhan Kaneshev participated in the opening ceremony.
“Our goal is to create comfortable conditions for doing business in the region, which will obviously allow attracting new investors into priority sectors of the economy. I believe Eni company’s $100 million investment in the region’s growth is the result of great support given to the promising project by the authorities. We are eager to provide comprehensive assistance to the investor in the construction of the second phase of the wind farm in 2020,” said Urazalin.
He added local officials are taking all necessary measures in step with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions to attract foreign investments and transition to a green economy. The pilot renewable energy project, with a capacity of 48 megawatts, is an important step towards the region’s continued development.
The wind farm is expected to produce approximately 200 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually. According to experts, it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by more than 172,000 tonnes per year.
“Kazakh Invest has provided all the needed assistance to the foreign investors in passing the approval procedures. Our task is not only attracting new investors, but stimulating the existing ones to reinvest in the new industrial branches,” said Kaneshev.
According to company representatives, 480 employees and 14 Kazakh construction companies were involved in the work. Fifteen additional jobs will be generated.
Within the next few years, Eni intends to implement additional renewable energy projects in the country. In September, the company won the tender for an additional 48 megawatts to expand the wind farm. Two months later, it took the 50-megawatt auction for the solar power station project in the Turkestan Region.
“Eni company is taking its first steps in Kazakhstan. This is the first renewable energy project in the Aktobe region, as well as the world’s first wind farm launched by our company. We are fully committed to the idea of developing renewable energies and intend to spend $1.5 billion on implementing these sources throughout the world during 2019-2022 under our four-year plan,” said Vignathi.
