General Electric (GE) will supply two GE 6F.03 gas turbines to power Aksa Energy’s new combined heat and power plant in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan.
As part of modernisation of Kazakhstan’s power infrastructure, Turkish power producer Aksa Energy will build a new 240MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant to provide flexible and sustainable heat and power for the Kyzylorda region.
The plant, expected to be commissioned in 2025, will be powered by two GE 6F.03 gas turbines, which will boost fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Korkut Ozturkmen, Aksa Energy board member and vice chairman of the executive committee, said in a statement: “We chose GE’s technology based on the evaluation of multiple parameters such as CAPEX, OPEX, performance, delivery cycle, reliability, service as well as flexibility to meet grid operator requirements.”
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The country’s ageing power infrastructure has been operating for an average of 40 years, and it is heavily reliant on coal-fired power generation.
According to the International Energy Agency, the country produces 70% of its electricity from its abundant resources of coal but aims for other sources to supply half its power by 2050.
The country is looking to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
Brice Raisin, commercial leader, GE Gas Power in EMEA, Europe, said in a statement: “Transitioning baseload generation fuel from carbon-intensive coal to a more efficient natural gas will help ensure grid stability as well as a better future for the people in Kazakhstan.”
New electricity capacity is expected to take the form primarily of solar and wind – but also gas and hydro. The government is considering constructing its first commercial nuclear power plant, building on its role as one of the world’s largest sources of uranium.