The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has officially signed a transaction advisory services agreement with Kazakhstan to advance its Hydropower Development Program. This strategic partnership aims to facilitate the development of hydropower projects across Kazakhstan, focusing on the Alaqol, Balkash, and Irtysh/Zaysan basins in the southeast of the country.
Under the agreement, ADB will assist Kazakhstan in several key areas: conducting pre-feasibility studies, preparing auction documents, creating a template power purchasing agreement, and attracting competitive offers to engage investors. The program envisions a cumulative hydropower capacity of approximately 600 megawatts (MW), which will be achieved through private sector involvement in designing, financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the projects.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy, Almassadam Satkaliyev, and ADB’s Head of the Office of Markets Development and Public–Private Partnerships, Cleo Kawawaki, signed the agreement
“ADB’s support for Kazakhstan in developing renewable energy sources, with an emphasis on private sector participation, aligns with our country partnership strategy for 2023–2027. Our goal is to assist Kazakhstan in addressing climate change impacts, promoting decarbonization, and achieving sustainable economic growth,” Kawawaki emphasized.
The Hydropower Development Program is designed to attract private sector investment and expertise to drive Kazakhstan's energy sector transformation. ADB will also provide support in knowledge transfer to build local expertise and enhance private sector participation.
Kazakhstan has been a member of ADB since 1994, with the institution having committed approximately $7bn in loans, grants, and technical assistance to both the government and private sector. ADB’s regional cooperation initiatives, particularly under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program, are a cornerstone of its operations in Kazakhstan, which is chairing the program this year.
Established in 1966, ADB is dedicated to fostering a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and Pacific region, with a focus on eradicating extreme poverty. The bank is owned by 68 members, including 49 from the Asia-Pacific region.
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