Kazahkstan tenders 290 MW of solar

The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan has issued a series of tenders for the 1 GW of renewable energy power generation capacity it announced in late January.

According to the ministry’s statement, through the specific auctions for solar energy projects, around 290 MW are planned to be allocated, while the volume expected to be deployed through the tender for wind power is estimated at 620 MW. Another two tenders for hydroelectric and biomass projects are expected to assign 75 MW and 15 MW of capacity, respectively.

A specific auction to allocate 10 MW of solar in the country’s North and West zones will be held on May, 28, 2018; while two more auctions to assign 20 and 50 MW, respectively in the South Zones, will be held on June 6 and 7.

An auction for further 30 MW of solar in the West Zones is planned for August 8, while two more auctions for the same regions, allocating 30 MW and 150 MW, respectively, are scheduled for October 17 and 18.

Several large-scale PV projects are currently being developed in Kazakhstan, all of which are potential candidates to participate in announced auctions.

French company, Urbasolar is currently planning a 14 MW plant, while another project, the 50 MW Baikonur Solar park, is being planned for Kyzylorda region, in the south of the country.

The project’s developer, Samruk Kazyna United Green Energy Ltd, is also developing two more 50 MW solar parks in Kazakhstan – the Burnoye Solar-1 and the Burnoye Solar-2 – both located in the southern region of Zhambyl. They will be financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Furthermore, a 100 MW PV plant is being planned by local company, KBEnterprises with the support of ABB, near Kabanbay, Tselinograd District, in the north of the country.

Kazakhstan is aiming to cover 3% of its electricity production with wind and solar by 2020.