Kazakh PM sets April construction start for three heat and power plants

ASTANA. Jan 21 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has asked for construction of three combined heat and power plants to begin in April, and for the Samruk-Kazyna state fund to finalize contracts by the end of January.

"I am instructing the Samruk-Kazyna fund to conclude contracts by the end of this month for the CHPP projects in Kokshetau, Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk," Bektenov stated at a government meeting on Wednesday. "Construction must begin in April."

The prime minister also called for technical documentation to be completed this year for two other major projects: a 700 MW CHP plant in Kurchatov and the 2.64 GW Ekibastuz-3 coal-fired state district power plant.

The three CHP plants set for immediate construction have planned capacities of 240 MW in Kokshetau and 360 MW each in Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk. Kazakhstan had initially planned to develop the projects with Russian financing, but negotiations have stalled.