The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated US$ 1 million for technical assistance to prepare a project for the full-scale rehabilitation of the Almaty hydroelectric power station cascade in Kazakhstan. Funding is provided by the Clean Energy Fund under the Clean Energy Finance Partnership Fund, pooling resources from the governments of Australia, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The Almaty hydroelectric power station cascade, consisting of 11 small and medium-sized power plants with a total capacity of 44.5 MW, is the oldest in the country – its facilities were put into operation between 1944 and 1963. Despite its relatively modest size, the cascade is of strategic importance for the southern region of Kazakhstan and especially for Almaty – the largest city and consumer of electricity, according to the ADB technical report.
The technical condition of the cascade is a major concern. A preliminary assessment conducted in 2023 with World Bank funding identified critical issues: significant equipment wear, corrosion, leaks in key generation elements. The situation is aggravated by the outdated design of many systems and a shortage of spare parts, which makes it difficult to quickly troubleshoot problems. Of particular concern is the condition of the 22-metre-high Almaty head pond dam, designed and built more than 70 years ago, where leaks are observed.
The technical assistance project, covering the period from May 2025 to December 2026, will be implemented under the leadership of the companies «Samruk-Energy» and «Almaty power plants». Key tasks include a comprehensive study of structural health, concrete core tests, reinforcement analysis, assessment of hydraulic structures and pipelines, and ultrasonic testing and water flow measurements.
Particular attention will be paid to assessing the climate resilience of the cascade. Experts will conduct a safety analysis of the dam, including monitoring systems, water intake structures, leak testing, and seismic assessment. During the work, recommendations will be developed for modernizing or strengthening aging structures in accordance with modern safety standards and earthquake resistance requirements.
An important component of the project will be to update the hydrological model to take into account the potential impacts of climate change, such as increased peaks and frequency of floods. This will help in preparing a project that can safely cope with future flood events and protect the cascade’s power plants.
The updated cascade of Almaty hydroelectric power stations will not only provide energy for the country’s largest city, but will also provide support services for the southern energy system necessary for the stability and integration of new sources of renewable energy, the ADB document states. In addition to generating electricity, the cascade provides water supply to the southern part of Almaty, covering 30% of the city’s needs.
Of particular value is the cascade’s ability to «black start» – in the event of serious system accidents with a collapse of the power system and loss of interconnections, the cascade can provide electricity to nearby power plants and help restore the network connection. The entire cascade has the ability to provide flexible generation and grid support services needed to integrate renewable energy.
The rehabilitation of the Almaty hydroelectric power station cascade is part of a broader effort to increase the flexibility of Kazakhstan’s energy system. In 2024, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, the energy system operator «Kazakhstan Electricity Network Management Company» and ADB discussed a plan of proposed short, medium and long-term actions to increase the flexibility of the Kazakh energy system. Support for hydropower is part of the long-term action.
It is noteworthy that several units of the Almaty hydroelectric power station cascade were supplied under the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, when the United States supplied necessary goods to the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.
Alexander Eskendirov (Rivers.Help!)
