ASTANA – Power supply is currently being restored to the Mangystau Atomic Energy Complex following a power outage across the western regions of Kazakhstan after an emergency shutdown, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said at a government meeting on July 4.
Alikhan Smailov addresses emergency shutdown in western Kazakhstan. Photo credit: primeminister.kz.
A 130-megawatt power unit of the Mangystau Atomic Energy Complex switched off on July 3, overloading the generation system across the area and causing a blackout in the Mangystau and Atyrau regions.
The power outage caused a shutdown of technical and auxiliary facilities of the Atyrau Oil Refinery.
The Atyrau power grid was then synchronized with the country’s western power grid. According to Dauletzhan Khasanov, deputy chairman of the KazMunayGas national oil and gas company, the Atyrau Oil Refinery began shipping oil products from existing reserves after power supply resumed.
“Presently, the refinery tanks have 26,000 tons of motor gasoline, 33,000 tons of diesel fuel and 1,200 tons of liquefied petroleum gas,” he informed.
The Prime Minister said that the situation is under control, assuring that there will be no shortage of petroleum products, as available fuel reserves are sufficient for the whole country.
“Speculation about the shutdown of all oil refineries is not true,” he stated.
Smailov chaired a special state commission meeting established on the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to investigate the causes of the accident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Smailov instructed relevant authorities to take measures to launch and modernize the existing equipment of the Mangystau Atomic Energy Complex to ensure the proper operation of the country’s western power grid and prevent speculation and creation of an artificial shortage of petroleum products.
