Kazakhstan has approved an investment agreement for the construction of a 700-megawatt thermal power plant in Kurchatov, Abai Region, in a major project expected to strengthen the country’s electricity supply.

The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov between the Ministry of Energy and LLP State Regional Power Plant Kurchatov, according to Zakon.kz.

The project is estimated to cost 881 billion tenge (about $1.9 billion). The planned facility will feature two power units, each with a capacity of 350 MW. They are scheduled to be commissioned in stages by 2032.

Once fully operational, the power plant is expected to generate up to 5 billion kWh of electricity annually and create around 4,400 jobs.

The facility will use modern steam-power equipment and “clean coal” technologies. The project also includes gas-cleaning, emissions filtration and dust-suppression systems designed to meet environmental requirements.