ASTANA – Construction of wind and solar power plants is underway in an effort to develop renewable energy sources in the Mangistau region in 2018, according to the regional press service.
Two facilities, a five-megawatt wind farm in Akshukur village of the Tupkaragan district and a seven-megawatt solar power plant in Batyr village of the Munaily district, will be completed in the first quarter. A 12-megawatt solar power plant in Shetpe village is expected to launch by the end of the year.
Energy and Utilities Department head Sapar Amanbekov
“A desalination plant with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres per day will be built using the technology of the world’s leading companies to provide a water supply to the region. The Caspian desalination plant will be entering the second stage of modernisation to increase productivity by 20,000 cubic metres per day and bring the total capacity to 40,000 cubic metres per day,” said energy and utilities department head Sapar Amanbekov at a Dec. 26 meeting.
Four energy and two water supply projects are expected to be implemented from the list of 105 projects presented at EXPO 2017 and approved by the Ministry of Energy.
A 250-megawatt combined cycle gas turbine unit will be launched at the site of the former Aktau nuclear power plant as part of the public-private partnership. The unit aims to cover electricity demand and increase the reliability of the energy supply at the central heating and power plant if a high load growth scenario occurs. The competition was announced to attract private investors.
Total utility bill debts in the region decreased from 2.1 billion to 1.6 billion tenge (US$6.3 million – $5 million) compared to the same period last year. Local executive bodies have recommended monitoring heating system functions in residential buildings and taking appropriate measures to ensure timely payment of debts.
Mangistau, better known for its vast oil and gas onshore and offshore reserves, is ranked second in the local Ease of Doing Business list. The 204 projects worth more 11 billion tenge (US$33 million) were subsidised as part of the Business Road Map. The number is 1.3 times more than last year’s figure and nearly 1,400 jobs were created.
The 47,000 small and medium businesses showed a growth of 107 percent year on year. The enterprises employ approximately 112,000 people, 103.2 percent more than last year.
