ASTANA – Excessive wear and tear of the generation equipment caused an emergency shutdown at a large unit of the Mangystau Atomic Energy Complex (MAEC) on July 3, Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) reported on July 25.
Photo credit: primeminister.kz.
As noted in the company’s statement, a protection relay and an automatic emergency response system of the KEGOC operated as usual, protecting and avoiding a full-blown power outage in the Atyrau and Mangystau Regions.
The well-coordinated actions of the KEGOC’s staff made it possible to resume regular operation in the shortest possible time, synchronizing the Atyrau power center with the western zone of Kazakhstan’s electric power system in less than an hour. The Mangystau power center was connected a little later.
An analysis of the emergency revealed the need to modernize and reconstruct existing power plants, strengthen the Atyrau oil refinery’s external power supply, and build new modern energy sources.
The power unit of the Mangystau atomic energy complex switched off on July 3, causing significant perturbations in the power system’s mode. An emergency shutdown at the Atyrau oil refinery aggravated the situation.
Meanwhile, the Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund keeps KEGOC’s grid reinforcement project of the western energy zone under special control. The construction of a 220-kilovolt overhead power line of about 770 kilometers will be completed in December.
