Power Sector
General group for power sector
Overview of Power Generation
Overview of Power Generation
Overview
Eighty-seven percent of Kazakhstan’s electricity is generated from fossil fuels, with hydropower accounting for 12 percent and less than one percent generation from solar and wind installations. Coal, produced in the northern regions, is used to power more than 70% of the country’s electricity generation. Kazakhstan’s only nuclear power plant, a BN–350 nuclear reactor at Aktau, was shut down in 1999. Kazakhstan has some of the largest uranium deposits in the world and is the world’s largest uranium producer. Although plans have long existed to build additional nuclear power plants, little progress has been made on constructing these units. Kazakhstan’s economy is highly energy-intensive and uses two to three times more energy than the average for OECD countries.
Electricity in Kazakhstan is generated by 155 power plants of various forms of ownership. As of January 2020, the total installed capacity of power plants in Kazakhstan was 22,937 MW and available capacity is 19,330 MW.
Kazakhstan’s national grid is operated by the Kazakhstan’s Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC), a state–owned company responsible for electricity transmission and distribution network management. Several medium and small regional electricity companies handle distribution, some of which are privately owned. The electricity transmission and distribution sectors are considered to be natural monopolies and are regulated by the government. However, wholesale generation of power is generally considered a competitive market with most generation assets owned by private enterprises.
Needs are great in the power generation market as Kazakhstan seeks to replace aging plants and equipment. Approximately 65% of equipment in use at power generating facilities has been in use for more than 20 years, and about 31% for more than 30 years. Electricity transmission networks are inefficient, with estimated losses of 15% across transmission and distribution systems. The government of Kazakhstan has developed an action plan for electric power development through 2030, which includes a list of proposed power plants for modernization or reconstruction as well as the construction of new facilities.
U.S. companies must prepare to compete with Russian, German, Korean, and Chinese companies that have acquired strong positions in the market and are sometimes entitled to tax breaks and other preferential treatment (particularly when they qualify as investors and not only as importers). Attempts to sell equipment for the power generation sector are more likely to be successful if based on a strategic approach to the
market and accompanied by appropriate training, servicing, and consulting programs.- 0 Replies
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