Kokshetau power station

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Kokshetau power station (Кокшетауская ТЭЦ) is a power station in the pre-permit stage in Kokshetau, Akmola, Kazakhstan.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Kokshetau power station	Kokshetau, Akmola, Kazakhstan	53.3036, 69.4198 (approximate)

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Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	CHP	Start year
Unit 1	Pre-construction	coal: bituminous	120	unknown	yes	2028 (planned)
Unit 2	Pre-construction	coal: bituminous	120	unknown	yes	2029 (planned)

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Unit 1	Kokshetau TETS LLC [100%]	Samruk-Energo JSC [50.0%]; Samruk-Kazyna SWF JSC [50.0%]
Unit 2	Kokshetau TETS LLC [100%]	Samruk-Energo JSC [50.0%]; Samruk-Kazyna SWF JSC [50.0%]

Project-level coal details

• Coal source(s): Ekibastuz coal basin

Ownership Tree

This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

Background

Initial Tender and Project Configuration

A tender was launched in December 2022 by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan for the design, construction, financing and future ownership and exploitation of the Kokshetau power station. A feasibility study was approved by Gosekspertiza in 2021 with some corrections in 2022.

It was anticipated that the plant would be built in two phases:

- Phase 1: two boiler units with total capacity of 332 Gcal/h and one turbine unit of 125 MW

- Phase 2: one boiler unit with capacity of 188 Gcal/h and one turbine unit of 125 MW

The tender documentation stated that the project should be completed within 48 months and should be designed in a way that would allow for potential conversion to gas in the future. A Turkish company, Aksa Energy, expressed interest in the plant in 2022. Another Turkish company, GAP Insaat, expressed interest in the tender in January 2023. However in February 2023 it was announced that the tender did not attract any bidders as the project is coal-fired. A media article from April 2023 referred to one minister suggesting to review the rules of the tender in order to attract investors. A video report from May 2023 implied that the project is on hold due to lack of interested investors as the project does not offer sufficient returns.

In August 2023 it was announced that a tender will be conducted on the capacity market in autumn 2023, with total investment cost estimated at 239bn tenge (about USD 535 million).

Inter RAO Agreement and Delays

Following Vladimir Putin's visit to Kazakhstan in November 2023, Russia and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum to agree that Russia's Inter Rao-Export (a subsidiary of Inter RAO) will build three CHP plants in Kazakhstan including Kokshetau power station, Semey-3 power station and the new Ust-Kamenogorsk TETS-2 power station. The draft agreement was in consultation mode until the end of December 2023. Kokshetau will be the first project to go ahead starting construction in 2024. Taking into account future gasification of the city, it was planned to install multi-fuel pulverized coal boilers with the possibility of converting to natural gas later.

Signing of EPC contract was planned for Q3 2024. In February 2024, location for construction of the plant was selected, close to the existing boilers. As of March 2024, adjustments were being made to the feasibility study, with the possibility of starting construction in 2024.

In June 2024, it was reported that contracts with Inter Rao for the feasibility study (not EPC) are in the final stage of discussions. After signing this contract, preparatory, geodetic and engineering survey work will begin in 2024. The active phase of station construction will start after passing the necessary examinations for design and receiving positive conclusions from the relevant authorities of Kazakhstan.

Samruk-Energo's press release stated that an agreement was signed with Inter RAO on August 29th of 2024 for the development of design and estimate documentation for the project. Construction was planned to begin in September and orders for equipment to be placed by the end of the year. In September 2024, the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliev stated that construction will commence imminently in the week of September 10th. In the first stage the plant will be built according to the requirements of Kazakhstan's environmental legislation. In the second stage, "we plan for this station to operate according to European standards". However the start of construction appeared to refer to the preparatory works such as of construction of access roads, fencing and engineering surveys. December 2024 news reports referred to the start of the 'active' phase of construction and project being approved. However the same source referred to the planned approval of Gosekspertiza only in 2025 and the start of the construction of the plant itself in summer 2025. Therefore it was implied that the plant has not yet started construction, as of December 2024.

As of March 2025, planned start of construction appeared to have been postponed to late 2025 while project documentation was still being finalized. The site of the plant has been moved further away from the town of Kokshetau to Zerendinsky district. May 2025 reporting indicated continued delays of the project due to disagreements between Inter RAO and Kazakhstan about the scope of responsibilities.

News from June 2025 indicated that due to continued delays receiving approval of Russian financing, the project may look for a different investor. The project with Russia's participation was suspended due to financing difficulties and disagreements on pricing of electricity between Kazakhstan and Russia. Kazakhstan may conduct new tenders for the construction of the three power plants.

Chinese Contracts

As of October 2025, contracts with Chinese companies worth a total of 356 billion tenge ($655 million) were signed: the project and cost documentation development contract worth over $20 million with Shandong Yangguang Engineering Design Institute Co, equipment and materials supply contract with POWERCHINA SEPCO1 Electric Construction Co worth over $442 million, and a contract over $191 million for construction, installation, and commissioning works with Henan Province Installation Group Co. LLP.

Construction Timeline

The start year for the power plant is listed as 2028 in the government plan. However, looking at the contract deadlines, including the project and cost documentation development contract by December 1, 2028, equipment supply and construction, installation, and commissioning works by February 1, 2029, the start year appears to have been delayed.

Nevertheless, in November 2025, authorities reported that pre-construction of the Kokshetau power station was in an active phase, with commissioning of Unit 1 planned for 2028 and Unit 2 for 2029. Unit 1 was expected to add 120 MW of electric capacity and 180 Gcal/h of heat, while Unit 2, planned for 2029, was expected to increase total capacity to 240 MW of electricity and 520 Gcal/h of thermal output. According to government officials, as of December 2025, preliminary works had been completed, including geodetic surveys, site preparation, temporary road infrastructure, and major earthworks, while construction of buildings and engineering systems had begun. Power supply to the site had been organized and power transformers installed.

In January 2026, Kazakhstan’s prime minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed Samruk-Kazyna to sign contracts by the end of January for the construction of the Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk power plants, and said construction work should begin in April 2026.

In February 2026, it was reported that Samruk-Energo had been put in charge of the Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk power sttaion projects, and that the plants would be built without Russian investment. A new contract had been signed on January 30, 2026 with a large international company from Singapore for the Kokshetau CHP project. Samruk-Energo later told Kazinform that contractor organizations had been selected and contracts signed for the Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk CHP projects, but did not disclose the contractor names, citing official and commercial secrecy. Samruk-Energo said the Kokshetau plant was scheduled for commissioning in the first quarter of 2029 and would have capacity of at least 240 MW.

As of February 2026, full construction approvals for the Kokshetau power station had not been confirmed, as the Ministry of Energy stated that the project’s parameters would be finalized after the design and cost documentation received state expert review.

In March 2026, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov visited the Kokshetau CHP construction site. Samruk-Energo said the planned capacity was about 240 MW of electricity and at least 520 Gcal/h of heat, with a possible additional 300 Gcal/h of heat capacity through installation of additional hot-water boilers. The company said initial works had been completed, including installation of a power transformer, temporary roads, and a construction headquarters; equipment deliveries were expected in the first quarter of 2027, and project completion was planned for March 2029.

By April 2026, utility connections had been completed, site infrastructure was being prepared, and construction of a concrete batching plant was underway.

In April 2026, work was underway to increase the planned heat capacity of the Kokshetau CHP from 520 Gcal/h to 820 Gcal/h, and an additional agreement with the Ministry of Energy was expected by the end of April.

Environmental Impact

The project was reported to involve the use of so-called clean coal technologies, including modern filtration systems and carbon capture, aimed at reducing environmental impacts.

Ownership and Financing

Potential financing by Russian institutions at subsidized interest rate was mentioned in January 2024 and June 2024 news. As per September 2024 reporting, financing has been secured, but it was not clear who the financial counterparties are.

December 2024 reporting referred to confirmed loan financing by a Russian counterparty at a subsided rate of 7%. Eventual final rate was said to be not higher than 10%, according to a video interview. The same source also suggested that a joint venture company has been created for the project where a Russian entity will own about 50% of the project. In February 2025, financing details were not known yet, but project company would ultimately be owned by Kazakh counterparties only.

As of October 2025, the financing of the Kokshetau power station was to be sourced from domestic sources and is owned by Samruk-Kazyna and subsidiary Samruk-Energy.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.