According to the Caspian news the plant covers approximately 90 acres and consists of 8,000 solar panels, which regional officials hope will become a successful model for renewable energy and one of Kazakhstan’s largest.
With a capacity of 2 megawatts, the plant is equipped with environmentally friendly and modern equipment, and is expected to provide 300 nearby houses with electricity. The facility is the 1st ‘green’ facility in Kazakhstan – a country that gets over 86 % of its energy demand satisfied by fossil fuels, according to U.S. government data.
«Another feature of the project is that 90 % of the components are produced in Kazakhstan», the mayor of Mangystau, Eraly Tugzhanov said at the inauguration of the plant.
Valued at roughly $3.6 million, the project is supported by the national government via its «Roadmap of Business 2020.» Launched in 2015, the 5-year plan is aimed at supporting new business initiatives and export-oriented production.
In a country right in natural resources such as oil, natural gas, anthracite and bituminous coal, it is not surprising that only 0.3 % of energy comes from renewables. Yet despite the easy access to fossil fuels, Central Asia’s wealthiest country intends to generate 50 % of its electricity from renewables by the year 2050.
