According to project materials, a 250 MW manoeuvrable (peaking) gas-fired combined-cycle power plant is planned in Aktobe region, Kazakhstan. The project won the KOREM auction for the construction of manoeuvrable generating units on 23 August 2024 and holds a 15-year take-or-pay capacity contract with the RFC settlement centre. The contractual commissioning date is 21 October 2028; an extension to 21 February 2029 is under negotiation. This article only relays facts from the project materials, which do not describe the current state of construction.
What is the Aktobe 250 MW combined-cycle power plant project?
According to the project materials, this is a gas-fired combined-cycle (CCGT) power plant in Aktobe region with a capacity of 250 MW, classed as a manoeuvrable (peaking) generating unit. A manoeuvrable unit is one that can raise or lower its output relatively quickly on grid dispatch instructions, to balance the load on the grid. The materials state that, under the capacity contract, the recognised capacity of the built plant may vary within plus or minus 15%, that is, about 212 to 287 MW; the final figure is set when the plant is certified at commissioning.
How did the project win the auction and obtain the capacity contract?
The materials show:
- Auction: on 23 August 2024, KOREM (the Kazakhstan Electricity and Capacity Market Operator) held an auction for the construction of manoeuvrable generating units, and this project was one of the winners.
- Capacity contract: the project has a capacity contract with the RFC settlement centre (Расчётно-финансовый центр) for a term of 15 years, executed on a take-or-pay basis.
When is commissioning planned?
The contractual commissioning date given in the materials is 21 October 2028. The materials also state that an extension of the commissioning date to 21 February 2029 is under negotiation; no outcome has been reported.
What are the site conditions?
According to the materials, the site was selected on the basis of a feasibility study. It covers 35 hectares, is flat, and has a height difference of less than one metre. Nearby infrastructure:
- Roads and rail: asphalt road and railway are within 1 km of the site, available for deliveries and services;
- Gas: the gas connection point is about 1.5 km away;
- Water: the water supply point is about 1.5 km away.
What are the grid connection and water supply conditions?
Grid: on 3 February 2026 the project received technical conditions for grid connection from KEGOC (the national grid operator). According to the materials, the plant is to connect to the 220 kV line Л-2042 (Ақтөбе–Өлке) in an "in-out" scheme, 15 km in and 15 km out, and one more 220 kV line, 35 km long, is to be built to the 220 kV Ақжар substation.
Water: on 15 July 2025 the project received water supply technical conditions from the Aktobe branch of the Kazvodkhoz state enterprise. The source is the Aktobe reservoir on the Ilek River (process water), with a permitted intake of 130 m³ per hour, about 1.12 million m³ per year. The materials state that the intake is permitted and no special water-use permit is required. The intake site has been identified and a request for a land plot on the reservoir shore has been submitted to the regional akimat.
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Where does the project stand in national planning?
The project materials state that the project is included in the National Project for the Modernization of the Energy and Utilities Sectors until 2029 and in the Action Plan for the Development of the Electric Power Industry until 2035, and is under the continuing oversight of the Government and the Presidential Administration. These are statements from the materials; this article has not separately checked government documents.
Frequently asked questions
### How large is the Aktobe plant and what type is it?
Its capacity is 250 MW and it is a manoeuvrable (peaking) gas-fired combined-cycle plant. Under the capacity contract the final recognised capacity may vary within plus or minus 15%, about 212 to 287 MW.
### What contracts and approvals has the project obtained?
According to the materials, the project won the KOREM auction on 23 August 2024 and holds a 15-year take-or-pay capacity contract, with the RFC settlement centre as counterparty. It received KEGOC grid connection conditions on 3 February 2026 and water supply conditions on 15 July 2025.
### When can the plant start operating?
The contractual commissioning date is 21 October 2028; an extension to 21 February 2029 is under negotiation. The materials do not give the outcome.
### What infrastructure is near the site?
The site covers 35 hectares and is flat; roads and rail are within 1 km, the gas connection point and the water supply point are each about 1.5 km away, and the plant connects to the grid via 220 kV lines.
Further reading
- News section: projects and market in Kazakhstan
- Similar power plant news: Mangystau governor Kilybay inspects the Aktau combined-cycle unit built with China Huadian
- National planning background: Kazakhstan government meets on the national energy and utilities modernization project
- Energy and infrastructure project services in Kazakhstan
Sources
- Project materials: the presentation and written replies on the Aktobe 250 MW combined-cycle gas power plant project (provided by the project side; this article relays only the facts they contain).
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