Kazvodkhoz selects 32 sites in Kazakhstan for small hydropower plants
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Kazakhstan's state water enterprise Kazvodkhoz has selected 32 water infrastructure sites for small hydropower plant construction. The first five plants, planned across four regions, will have a combined capacity of about 9 MW. The program is part of a roadmap to boost small hydropower potential on the enterprise's facilities.
Key Facts
- Kazvodkhoz selected 32 water infrastructure sites in Kazakhstan for small hydropower plant construction.
- The first five plants will be built at Samarkand, Kargaly, Karakol, Karatomar, and Verkhne-Tobolsk reservoirs in Karaganda, Aktobe, Abai, and Kostanay regions.
- The first five plants will have a combined capacity of about 9 MW.
- The second stage covers 18 sites with a total planned capacity of about 25 MW.
- Kazvodkhoz already operates three small hydropower plants with a total capacity of about 5 MW in North Kazakhstan, Karaganda, and on the transboundary Khorgos River.
First Stage Projects
The first stage involves building small hydropower plants at five existing water infrastructure sites. The sites are Samarkand Reservoir in Karaganda Region, Kargaly Reservoir in Aktobe Region, Karakol Reservoir in Abai Region, and Karatomar and Verkhne-Tobolsk reservoirs in Kostanay Region. The combined capacity of these five plants is expected to be about 9 MW. The ministry did not disclose construction costs or commissioning dates for the first five plants.
Second and Third Stages
The second stage covers 18 water infrastructure sites with a total planned capacity of about 25 MW. If the first two stages are fully implemented, their combined installed capacity will be about 34 MW. The third stage includes nine potential sites, six of which are linked to new reservoirs planned for Abai and East Kazakhstan regions. Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov said documentation is being prepared and implementation mechanisms are being worked out for the first two stages.
Existing Hydropower Assets
Kazvodkhoz currently operates three small hydropower plants with a total capacity of about 5 MW. These plants are located in North Kazakhstan and Karaganda regions, and on the transboundary Khorgos River. The planned capacity of the first two stages is more than six times the combined capacity of the three existing plants.
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Kazvodkhoz selects 32 sites in Kazakhstan for small hydropower plants
