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Kazakhstan has reassigned three CHP plant projects to a Kazakh-Singaporean consortium, formally ending Russia’s involvement, the energy ministry confirmed.
Kazakhstan has reassigned the construction of three combined heat and power (CHP) plants in Kokshetau, Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk to a Kazakh-Singaporean consortium, formally ending Russia’s participation after a prolonged period of uncertainty.
The decision, confirmed by Vice Minister of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov, signals a shift in how large-scale energy infrastructure projects in the country are financed and delivered.
EPC contracts for the Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk plants were signed in early 2026, allowing work to move into an active phase in the coming months. Orders for key equipment are expected to be placed in May, while engineering surveys and site preparation will proceed in parallel.
Deliveries are scheduled from the third quarter of 2027, with commissioning targeted for the fourth quarter of 2029. The projects will incorporate modern technological solutions, including Chinese components.
The scale of investment remains substantial. The plant in Kokshetau is estimated to cost around $750 million, while the facilities in Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk are expected to reach roughly $850 million each.
Officials have emphasised that the projects will proceed without direct budget financing, pointing instead to alternative investment structures.
The three plants were initially conceived as joint projects with Russia within the framework of bilateral energy cooperation. In November 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin announced plans to formalise the arrangement through an intergovernmental agreement, which envisaged Russian involvement in design, equipment supply and concessional financing.
However, implementation stalled as key financial terms remained unresolved. Although a ratification bill was introduced in parliament in late 2024, progress was repeatedly delayed amid ongoing discussions over subsidised financing mechanisms.
By mid-2025, the government had begun to consider alternative investors. First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar stated that the primary obstacle lay in securing export financing, stressing that the issue was not linked to sanctions but rather to financial arrangements.
By the end of 2025, uncertainty persisted. Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said Kazakhstan had not received a response from the Russian side regarding concessional financing for two of the projects.
In response, the government moved to implement the Kokshetau plant independently through the state-owned company Samruk-Energy, while continuing to reassess options for the remaining facilities.
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Turkic states are assessing the feasibility of passport-free travel between countries using national ID cards, Kürşad Zorlu, the Deputy Chairman of Türkiye’s ruling AK Party said on Saturday.
European Union measures suspending import duties on 80 per cent of Armenian exports to the bloc came into effect on Saturday. The temporary liberalisation measures are aimed at supporting Armenian producers and exporters following trade restrictions imposed on the country's products by Russia.
Georgia is enjoying one of its biggest and highest-quality grape harvests since independence. By 6 October, growers in the country's main wine-producing region, Kakheti, had delivered 182,210 tonnes of grapes, with 99 per cent rated medium or high quality, despite recent protests over prices.
Uzbekistan has unveiled plans to deepen economic ties with Central Asia and Azerbaijan, proposing shared artificial intelligence infrastructure, a critical minerals alliance and a regional trade strategy extending to 2035.
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