Project background: Construction of Semey Hydropower Plant (HPP)
Semey HPP construction project involves the development, construction, and operation of a hydropower facility on the Irtysh River with a total installed capacity of up to 350 MW, located in Abai region of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
This project is of strategic importance for the country, aimed at increasing the regulating capacity of the Upper Irtysh cascade of hydropower plants and creating an additional reservoir that will play a key role in managing the flow of the transboundary Irtysh River.
The construction of Semey HPP has been included in the Development Plan for the Hydropower Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020–2030, approved by the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sklyar R.V., on September 4, 2020.
In addition, the construction and operation of the plant will contribute to the development of other economic sectors in Abai Region — including transport, agriculture, and tourism — and will contribute to regional income growth, employment, and budget expansion, while reducing flood risks and greenhouse gas emissions.
Project objectives:
1.The construction of Semey HPP as a counter-regulator of Shulbinsk HPP will enable the full utilization of Shulbinsk HPP’s design potential.
2.Increase the regulating capacity of Shulbinsk HPP to 500 MW.
3.Create an additional freshwater reservoir on the transboundary Irtysh River.
4.Smooth out irregular discharges from Shulbinsk HPP to prevent flooding in Semey city.
Project implementation period: 2023–2031
The project is being implemented under the Agreement on Establishing a Long-Term Strategic Partnership for the Development of Projects in Priority Sectors, signed on March 20, 2024, between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the State of Qatar.
