The first large scale photovoltaic (solar PV) power plant has been introduced into operation in southern Kazakhstan, according to Kazinform news agency.
The solar PV plant with capacity of 2 MW has been constructed in the Batyr village, Munailin district in the area of 36.05 hectares. A total cost of the project is 1.2 billion tenge (equivalent to 3.5 million U.S. dollars) and it was financed under the Joint Business Development Support Program “Business Roadmap 2020.”
Renewable Market Watch says that at the moment, 85.5% of Kazakhstan’s electricity comes from coal-fired plants and 8.7% from hydroelectric sources. The coal fired plants are located in north coal producing regions. Hydroelectric facilities are located mostly along the Irtysh River. The southern regions of Kazakhstan do not have an enough energy resources and electricity consumption is covered by import from Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan is reportedly very promising emerging market for photovoltaic (solar PV) energy investments amongst CIS countries, according to Kazakhstan Solar PV Market Outlook 2015 – 2025.
With the introduction of support mechanisms to the legislation in 2009, 2010, 2012 with the subsequent amendments in 2013 and newly approved feed-in-tariff (FIT) in June 2014, Kazakhstan photovoltaic energy market is supposed to start growing in next years.
Kazakhstan has also adopted at the end of August 2013 a new feed-in tariff law – “On Supporting the Use of Renewable Energy Sources” – that provides support to renewable energy producers. The EBRD has worked with the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies and the Ministry of Environmental Protection to help develop various aspects of the new legislation, beginning with the model for determining the feed-in tariffs. The cost of the program is estimated at 1,100 billion tenge (equivalent to € 5.3bn).
Investors and project developers in Kazakhstan have announced investment intentions to put into operation by 2020 for over 1,750 MW (1.75 GW) wind projects and over 700 MW (0.7 GW) solar PV projects.
