East Kazakhstan Plans to Build 5 Small Hydropower Plants by 2030

East Kazakhstan plans to build five hydropower plants with a total capacity of 74.3MW in the coming years, The Caspian Post reports citing Kazinform.

The region is now turning to hydropower, adding less solar and wind capacity due to its climate conditions.

According to the World Wind Atlas, the region’s individual areas hold minimum conditions for wind and solar power installations. Investors now benefit from engaging in regions with great potential for those sources, said Nurlan Ramazanov, chief at the electricity and utilities department of East Kazakhstan region.

Hydropower is a controllable energy source, allowing for energy flexibility, which is key to stable power supply, he added.

Boasting seven hydropower plants, East Kazakhstan region leads the country in hydropower generation. In 2024, the region’s electricity production totaled over 7.6 billion kW/h, with renewables accounting for 243.5 mln kW/h.

Five hydropower plants producing total 74.3MW, including in Katon-Karagay district (1.4MW), on the Bukhtarma river in Altay district (50MW), two hydropower plants in Zaisan district (4.5MW and 2.4MW) as well as in Markakol district (16MW) are slated for construction in the region before 2030.

The region’s total hydropower potential is estimated at 2GW, allowing to implement 95 small-sized hydropower plants. Work is ongoing with potential investors to attract funds in the sector.

Despite significant prospects the construction of small hydropower plants holds, it’s poised to address a number of challenges, including allocation of forest lands, a balance between energy development and preserving river ecosystems.

In general, Kazakhstan is to explore the potential of Irtysh-Zaisan Alakol and Balkhash basins for future hydropower plants.

Earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had met Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Khaled Salmeen, Chief Executive Officer, Downstream, at ADNOC, as part of his working working visit to Abu Dhabi, the UAE.