UAE Masdar to construct one-gigawatt wind farm in Kazakhstan

Masdar, a renewable energy company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is set to construct a wind farm with an output capacity of one gigawatt in the Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan, as reported by the local administration.

«The governor of the Zhambyl region Yerbol Karashukeyev met with Masdar representatives. Yernur Jiyenbayev, Masdar project manager, reported on the provisional results, stating that the initial cost of the project is approximately $1.40 billion. Meanwhile, the company is conducting a geotechnical investigation on the site of the future wind farm. Construction of the major renewable energy source (RES) facility is scheduled for next year,» the region’s administration said in a statement.

The wind power plant designed for launch by Masdar will feature an energy storage system. Furthermore, Jiyenbayev highlighted that the Emirati enterprise looks forward to expanding its presence in the Zhambyl region and implementing other investment projects within the green economy sectors.

In turn, Karashukeyev said that he believes that this large wind farm will significantly contribute to Kazakhstan’s energy security. He also proposed Masdar to collaborate with local universities to assess demand for personnel and train needed specialists among local residents in advance. Currently, 22 renewable energy sources with an aggregate output of 571.3 megawatts are operational in the region. 

The electricity generated by the one-gigawatt wind power plant by Masdar is expected to be sold at 4.49 cents per kilowatt-hour over its 25-year project lifespan, as stipulated in an agreement between the governments of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. The project will be implemented in two phases, each with a capacity of 500 megawatts. The initial phase will feature a 500-megawatt power output and a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a battery capacity of 300 megawatt-hours and a power output of 150 megawatts. The plant will be integrated with an automatic generation control system managed by the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC).

The battery energy storage system (BESS) is expected to maintain a 95% state of health throughout the 25-year project term. This projection is based on an assumption that the facility would endure 400 full charging and discharging cycles per year within 25 years. If the plant is commissioned ahead of schedule, the BESS will be deployed in stages, beginning with the operation of a 200-megawatt wind turbine capacity.

On top of that, the project also implies the construction of a 220-kilovolt power transmission line spanning 125 kilometers that will link the wind farm to the operational electrical substation in the region. Upon completing the scheme of power distribution study, the two sides may consider alternative connection points or layouts. The project company will be responsible for constructing connection facilities, including the high-voltage power transmission line and its integration with the KEGOC grid. Once the first 500-megawatt wind farm is fully operational, these facilities will be handed over to KEGOC for operation and management.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) has been appointed as the leading developer for the first wind farm. The company also has the right to establish partnerships with W Solar Investment, Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund (KIDF) Management Company and Qazaq Green Power.

For the second wind farm, Masdar also has the right to partner with other companies to implement the other part of the project. The electricity tariff and contract terms for the second phase will be the same as for the first one. Electricity from the wind farm will be purchased by the Settlement and Financial Center for Renewable Energy Support. Under the agreement, the organization will acquire all generated electricity on a «take or pay» basis, meaning it must purchase the electricity each month even if it does not request or accept the supply. Initially, the wind farm was scheduled for commissioning in 2028, although the start date for construction has yet to be specified.