Moinak Hydropower Plant
Through investment attraction Kazakhstan's business, state bodies and national companies are developing the energy sector of the economy, because the creation of a sustainable development model is impossible without improving energy efficiency and ensuring the country's energy security. For example, back in 2011 the “Development Bank of Kazakhstan” JSC (a subsidiary of “Baiterek” National Management Holding” JSC) financed the construction of the Moinak Hydropower Plant. Today it is the country's largest hydroelectric power plant breaking its own records in electricity output.
Since commissioning, the Moinak HPP has generated more than 6.5 billion kWh of electricity, and this year has significantly exceeded the target. According to the plant’s specialists, for four months, the inflow volume of the Sharyn River, where the hydropower station is located, exceeded the long-term average annual indicator by 10 percent. Moreover, the successful layout of the waterworks facilities, the use of natural river bend and the altitude difference of about 500 meters, as well as the availability of a narrow intermountain basin and a small water reservoir-counter-regulator contributed to the achievement of good performance. Today, the Moinak HPP is one of the breakthrough projects that successfully address problems related to reducing the electricity shortage in the Southern Zone of the unified energy system of Kazakhstan (Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions), covering peak loads and regulating power in the energy system. The project average annual electricity generation of the enterprise is 1.027 billion kWh. .
The Moinak Hydropower Plant has gone down in history as the "construction of the century." Being a breakthrough project for its time, which was started back in the early 1980s, a 300 MW station was commissioned only in 2012, when Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev during his visit to the hydropower plant gave a signal to turn on the second hydraulic unit. The facility, located on the Sharyn River in Kegen district of Almaty region, was built with the support of the Development Bank as part of the State Program of Forced Industrial Innovative Development and in accordance with the Kazakhstan Program of Electric Power Industry Development till 2030. The project cost amounted to 346.6 million US dollars. DBK covered 34.2 percent of this amount, or 118.6 million US dollars, which was allocated in three rounds. Currently, the Bank is financing four more energy projects in Turkestan, Karaganda, Kyzylorda and East Kazakhstan regions. .
Looking at the initiatives being implemented in this area, there are no fears that the increasing demand for electricity may cause a sharp shortage. Moreover, the development of alternative energy sources is being actively promoted, which is also important. Though the implementation of such energy sources in Kazakhstan is still at an early stage of preparation, the main thing is that the process has been kicked off.
