BrazilHill International project manager of power plant upgrade in Almaty
Almaty Power Plants has selected Hill International to oversee the project management for the modernization of its CHP 2 power plant in Kazakhstan’s capital city.
Initially commissioned in 1980, the Almaty Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant 2 is a 510MW coal-fired power plant that provides energy to more than 60% of the city's residential buildings, as well as to numerous industrial facilities.
With the aim of modernizing the power plant and at the same time reducing its environmental impact (the plant is the biggest stationary source of pollution in Almaty), a large upgrade project is underway.
Primary goal is to reduce CO2 emissions in the city by approximately 3 million tons per annum (a reduction of roughly 56%) and fully avoid air emissions of particulate matter and NOx. The project will help to promote a transition to more sustainable energy sources, including a switch from coal to natural gas.
After completion, the plant will have the capability to offer balancing capacity to the national grid, accelerate the execution of renewable energy projects and support the growth of renewable heating solutions.
The project is set to be carried out in multiple phases, with the initial phase focused on upgrading a 200 MWe powered reactor. The reconstruction of the CHP Plant 2 project is anticipated to be fully completed by 2026.
Supporting the delivery of the program is a consortium of energy, construction, and consulting firms, comprising both international groups and local partners. Hill International has been named the lead project management consultant, continuing its role on the project. In the previous phase, the global consulting firm supported the tender process.
“The CHP Plant 2 project continues our legacy of delivering transformative mega-projects in Kazakhstan. I am very proud that Hill mobilized all required capacity to successfully complete the tender documentation in the limited time given,” said Hill Vice President of Turkey and Eurasia, Ibrahim Serdar Gucar.
The CEO of Hill International, Raouf Ghali, added: “Infrastructure projects and programs are the backbone of our firm, and the CHP Plant 2 project is a perfect example of the kind of major energy infrastructure project we excel at managing. I’m excited both to continue our work in Kazakhstan and to demonstrate our ability to realize a green modernization project like CHP2 successfully.”
The project is part of the Green Cities Program of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and approved by Kazakhstan’s largest electric power holding – Samruk-Energy, as part of its wider ambition to transition to a green economy, create new jobs and attract additional investments.
The EBRD has invested over $525 million across 14 projects in Kazakhstan in 2022, of which around $232 million went to Almaty Power Plants. Alongside work on the CHP Plant 2, the energy group also has projects running for improving the sustainability performance of its CHP 1 and CHP 3 plants.
With more than $10.7 billion invested in the country through 304 projects, Kazakhstan is the EBRD’s largest and longest-running country of focus in Central Asia.
