Construction of three CHP plants in Kazakhstan: prime minister sets concrete deadlines

Tengrinews.kz — Construction of combined heat and power plants (CHPs) in three cities of Kazakhstan must begin as early as April this year. The instruction was given by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.

The Prime Minister ordered the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund to finalize contracts for the construction of CHP plants in Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk by the end of January.

“Construction work must begin in April. Special oversight is also required for the expansion of GRES-2. This year, technical documentation must be completed for the CHP project in Kurchatov and for GRES-3 in Ekibastuz,” Bektenov said during a government meeting.

Bektenov also instructed the Ministry of Energy, together with relevant government agencies, to develop a national project for the development of coal-based power generation within one month and submit it for government review.

In addition, the Prime Minister reminded officials that due to Kazakhstan’s growing demand for energy resources, the Head of State had emphasized the need to intensify geological exploration, develop new hydrocarbon fields, and ensure the timely launch of major gas processing plants.

“I instruct the Ministry of Energy, together with Samruk-Kazyna, to submit a detailed plan for the development of new promising oil and gas fields by the end of February,” the Prime Minister said.

Samruk-Kazyna was also tasked with ensuring strict compliance with project timelines for gas processing facilities and providing the Prime Minister with monthly progress reports.

Earlier, during a meeting of the National Kurultai, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the construction of new CHP plants in Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk had been delayed and that citizens were waiting for tangible results.

“My criticism is addressed to the government and the Samruk-Kazyna fund. It is necessary to ensure the timely launch of the power plant in Kurchatov, additional units at GRES-2, and to begin construction of GRES-3 in Ekibastuz,” Tokayev said.

Background

Plans to build three CHP plants in Kazakhstan were first announced in 2023, with Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk identified as construction sites.

Later, the Ministry of Energy acknowledged that the projects faced difficulties due to the refusal of international financial institutions to participate in coal-based power generation.

In July 2025, Bektenov announced that Kazakhstan had begun construction of a new CHP plant in Kokshetau without Russian participation.

In December last year, Energy Minister Erlan Akkenzhenov commented on the progress of the three CHP projects, noting that responses from the Russian side were still pending for two of them.