The Head of State has signed the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan Regarding Support for the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and the Power Sector.

The law is designed to advance the mechanisms for supporting and developing the energy industry.

In particular, for the development of small-scale renewable energy, the concept of 'small-scale renewable energy facility' has been established, referring to technical devices with a capacity of up to 200 kilowatts that produce electrical and/or thermal energy using renewable energy sources (RES).

The owners of small-scale renewable energy facilities will continue to be able to use the generated electricity and/or heat for their own needs and sell any surplus electricity to the energy provider, as they do now.

The surplus electricity will be purchased by the energy provider at a marginal price (without differentiation by consumer groups) as determined by the Committee for Regulation of Natural Monopolies under the Ministry of National Economy.

In order to guarantee the purchase of electricity produced by small-scale renewable energy facilities and to eliminate access barriers to the power grids, electricity suppliers are mandated to enter into purchase agreements, and transmission organizations are required to provide unhindered access to their networks.

To increase the share of the country's hydroenergy potential, small hydroelectric power plants (Small hydro) with a total capacity of up to 10 megawatts, commissioned before July 1, 2023, are allowed to sell the electricity they generate directly to the energy providers, bypassing a single purchaser.

The electricity generated by the small hydro will be prioritized for purchase by energy supply organizations at a marginal tariff set by the Ministry of Energy. The tariff will be reviewed and renewed as per the established regulations (every 7 years).

The law modifies the conditions for investment agreements related to the modernization, reconstruction, and/or expansion of generating installations with the use of gas as an alternative type of fuel.

Credit financing for the construction, reconstruction, and modernization of electrical networks of regional grid companies under municipal ownership will be implemented using budgetary resources.

The credit financing regulations will be established by the Ministry of Energy with the agreement of the Ministry of Finance.

Source: akorda.kz