Kazakh parliament ratifies agreement with UAE on wind farm construction in Zhambyl regionThe Senate, the upper house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, adopted on Thursday the Law on Ratification of the Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a Wind Farm Project.The document will now be sent to the president for signature.The Agreement was signed in Dubai on December 2, 2023.The parties have agreed to construct a 1 GW wind farm in the Zhambyl region, along with a 300 MW energy storage system. This will allow excess energy generated during periods of strong wind to be stored and supplied to the grid during peak demand.Senator Shakirim Buktugutov, who presented the bill, stated that Kazakhstan’s Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) will handle technical dispatching and maintenance of power transmission lines, while the Zhambyl regional administration will lease the land for the project."The tariff for electricity produced by the wind farm will be set at 4.49 US cents per kWh. This rate has been established based on international practices and the project’s profitability level. (…) The tariff covers costs related to transmission line construction, energy storage system usage and electricity generation," the senator said.The agreement also stipulates that the Kazakh side will compensate the investor for any increased costs, including those arising from legislative changes, grid regulations, competing projects or rising land prices.The project will be carried out by a consortium comprising UAE’s Masdar (40%) and W Solar (40%), as well as Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Green Power (18%) and the Kazakhstan Investment and Development Fund (2%)."The project will create around 100 permanent jobs, 1,000 temporary jobs and attract approximately $1.4 billion in investments. It will also generate an additional 3.4 billion kWh of green energy annually," the senator noted.Earlier, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said in the Majilis, the lower house of the parliament, that the wind farm will produce 3.4 billion kWh a year. The project will also include the construction of energy storage facilities and 425 km of overhead lines, which will enhance the country’s power transmission potential. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX