Kazakhstan secures $123m loan for transmission network enhancement

This will support construction of 500 kilovolts overhead transmission lines among others.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) have inked a $123m financial deal that will expand the high-voltage transmission network in the southern region of Kazakhstan. 

In a statement, the ADB said the assistance will help in integrating large-scale renewable power generation into the grid, reinforcing and stabilising power transmission in the south, and improving the Central Asian country’s energy security. 

The financial assistance will fund the construction of 500 kilovolts (kV) overhead transmission lines and the reconstruction and renovation of the Shu, Jambyl, and Shymkent 500 kV substations. These are seen to increase transmission capacity by 75%, and improve the stability of energy supplies by eliminating overloading and reducing transmission losses. 

"ADB’s partnership with KEGOC will assist Kazakhstan in achieving its net-zero emissions goals by reaching its energy transition and renewable energy expansion targets,” said ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Suzanne Gaboury. “This project will enhance the grid, prepare it for utility-scale renewable energy, reduce power transmission losses, and eliminate economically harmful outages.”