Kazakhstan to Build Three Power Plants Without Russian Partners

Kazakhstan has officially launched the construction of three new thermal power plants (TPPs) in the cities of Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk. The projects will be implemented by a Kazakh-Singapore consortium, marking a definitive end to earlier plans involving Russian participation.

The decision was confirmed by Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov. He stated that Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts for the Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk plants have already been signed. Active construction is set to begin in the coming months, with equipment orders planned for May and site preparation work starting in parallel.

Key equipment delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2027, with all three stations expected to be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2029. The project in Kokshetau is at an advanced preparatory stage: utilities have been connected, access roads built, and design documentation is being developed. Its commissioning is planned for early 2029.

Yessimkhanov emphasized that the selected contractor has significant experience and access to modern technologies, including Chinese solutions. The plants will utilize "clean coal" technologies and incorporate elements of artificial intelligence.

The Vice Minister also provided estimated costs: the Kokshetau TPP is valued at approximately 350 billion tenge, while the stations in Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk will cost around 400 billion tenge each due to their higher capacity. Crucially, he noted that the projects are being financed without direct state budget funds. Companies are attracting their own financing for construction, with payments from the state commencing only after the plants become operational to service loans.

This move concludes a lengthy period of uncertainty regarding Russian involvement. Initial plans from late 2023 envisioned cooperation with Russia, including potential financing through a Russian state loan. However, negotiations stalled over unresolved issues regarding preferential financing terms. By late 2025, Kazakhstan decided to proceed independently after failing to receive a final answer from its northern neighbor on funding for two of the three projects.