New Solar Panel Plant Opens in Astana

A new plant for the production of photovoltaic modules opened in Astana on December 25. Astana Solar LLP, the operator, is a subsidiary of NAC Kazatomprom JSC, reports Kazinform.

The opening ceremony was attended by the RoK President Nazarbayev, NWF Samruk-Kazyna Chairman – U. Shukeyev, Minister of Industry and New Technologies A. Issekeshev, Mayor of Astana I. Tasmagambetov, Chairman of Kazatomprom –V. Shkolnik, and French project partners.

The construction of the plant is a part of a large-scale project realized by NAC Kazatomprom JSC in partnership with French consortium headed by the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux energies alternatives, CEA. The project is aimed at the development in Kazakhstan the technologies of solar energy and the creation of a fully integrated production line for renewable energy sources production.

This project is the realization of the strategic agreements on industrial and innovative cooperation between Kazakhstan and France reached during the official visit of the President of the RK to France in October 2010.

The operator of the project is Astana Solar LLP, the subsidiary of Kazatomprom. As soon as the plant is built Astana Solar will produce and realize the solar batteries.

French partners provided technological and technical support. The plant has up-to-date automated equipment which meets the highest standards of safety engineering and environmental protection.
Solar panels with the capacity of 60 megawatts will be produced annually with the expansion of solar panels production up to 100 megawatts. The production capacity is expected to be reached in the first quarter of 2013.

The project will give job to more than 150 Kazakhstan specialists of different profiles, and some of them will get a specialized training abroad.
The raw material will be Kazakhstan silicium KazPV which is supposed to be purified till solar quality in Oskemen (East Kazakhstan oblast). 

In the framework of “solar” project Kazatomprom in partnership with CEA plans to open Kazakhstan Center of scientific, research and development projects to form and renew today’s base of innovative technical and technological decisions – know-how.

Total cost of the project is about 34bn tenge

Reference

One of the main aims of the development of renewable energy in Kazakhstan is the opportunity to provide the distant regions of the country with the power and to strengthen the position of alternative energy sources on the world market.

Pursuant to the State Program of the Forced Industrial and Innovative Development of RK, the share of energy consumption produced by renewable sources should exceed 1% by 2015.

WKT