Project partners Funded by Published by: eclareon GmbH Albrechtstrasse 22 10117 Berlin, Germany E: [email protected] T: + 49 30 8866740-0 Fax: + 49 30 8866740-11 www.eclareon.com Person responsible for content under §55 paragraph 2 RStV: Christoph Urbschat (eclareon) Funding body: Federal Foreign Office (German: Auswärtiges Amt) Project funding number: ZMV I 6 - 2519AA0650 Design: Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft e.V., eclareon GmbH Place and date of publication: Berlin, January 2020

Authors:

Ulf Lohse, Tatiana Andreeva, Alik Aylarov, Christoph Urbschat, eclareon GmbH

We thank for support in preparing the study:

Delegation der Deutschen Wirtschaft in Zentralasien

2 Page Content

Objectives of the ENABLING PV Project 8 1. Electric Power Sector of Kazakhstan 9 Sector Infrastructure 10 Energy Sector of Kazakhstan 10 Electricity Market Stakeholders 13 Energy Sector Regulator 14 Commercial Infrastructure Organisations 14 Technology Infrastructure Organisations 14 Energy Producers 15 Grid infrastructure 16 Electricity Sales Companies 16 Electricity Consumption and Demand 16 On-Grid Power Generation 17 Off-Grid Power Generation 17 Electricity Markets, Prices, Tariffs and Costs 18 Wholesale and Retail Markets 18 1.3.1.1 Decentralised Electricity Market 20 1.3.1.2 Centralised Electricity Market 20 1.3.1.3 Balancing Electricity Market 20 1.3.1.4 Market for System and Support Services 21 1.3.1.5 Electric Power (Capacity) Market 21 1.3.1.6 Formation of electricity prices 22 1.3.1.7 Electricity Tariffs for End Users 23 Investment Framework for PV 25 Solar Irradiation 25 Participants of PV Market in Kazakhstan 26 Groups of potential users of solar power generation 30 2. Regulatory and Business Framework 31 Regulation and Support Schemes for PV and RES 31 Auction Bidding Mechanism 33 Codes and Standards 36 Rules of Power Transmission and Technological Connection to the Grid 36 State Standards for Solar Energy 36 Terms of Trade, Investment and Import 36 Inflation and Interest Rates 36 Import Conditions for Photovoltaic Modules 36 Financing of Photovoltaic Power Plants 37 3. References 38

3 List of Figures Figure 1 Schematic world map and Kazakhstan on the world map 9 Figure 2 Total installed capacity of power generation facilities and total annual power generation in Kazakhstan by type of power plants 10 Figure 3 Installed capacity of RES facilities in Kazakhstan at the beginning of 2020 in MW and % of total RES capacity in the country 11 Figure 4 Proportion of different energy sources in total installed capacity in Kazakhstan in 2018 12 Figure 5 Schematic representation of the three energy zones of the UES of Kazakhstan 12 Figure 6 Power generation in Kazakhstan by major energy generating companies 15 Figure 7 Electricity consumption by sector in 2019 in Kazakhstan 17 Figure 8 Schematic structure of electric energy and capacity market in Kazakhstan 18 Figure 9 Scheme of the Electricity Market in Kazakhstan 19 Figure 10 Centralised purchase of capacities from power generating organisations 21 Figure 11 Tariffs for residential consumers by type 25 Figure 12 Annual global solar radiation on a sloping surface (GTI) of Kazakhstan 26 Figure 13 Installed capacity of RES facilities and solar power plants in Kazakhstan 28 Figure 14 Installed RES objects within the framework of auctioning in Kazakhstan by type of generation 28 Figure 15 Implementation scheme for construction of RES facilities through RFC " 33 Figure 16 Scheme of issuing a bank guarantee and standby letter of credit for participants in auction tenders for RES projects 34 Figure 17 The scheme of purchase and sale of the generated electricity by RES stations 35

4

List of Tables Table 1 Installed capacity of the largest power generating companies of Kazakhstan 15 Table 2 Prices for wholesale market consumers 23 Table 3 Tariffs for industrial consumers in 2019 23 Table 4 Targets for RES sector development until 2020 27 Table 5 Private companies-winners at auction in 2018, 2019 in the solar energy sector of Kazakhstan 29 Table 6 Fixed tariffs for RES objects 31

5 List of Abbreviations Short for . Definition . BRELL Related energy systems of Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania CAPEX Capital expenditures CHP Combined heat and power plant CIS Commonwealth of Independent States DCF Discounted Cash Flow Analysis - discounted cash flows DSCR Debt Service Coverage Ratio EK REC East Kazakhstan Regional Energy Company ESC Energy supply companies ET Energy Transmitting Organisations EU European Union GDP Gross Domestic Product GOST National Standard GRES Combined-cycle gas-fired power station GTI Global Tilted Irradiation - global solar radiation on an inclined surface GW Gigawatt GWh Gigawatt per hour HPP Hydropower plant IRR Internal Rate of Return JSC Joined Stock Company KEGOC Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company KREM Committee for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies and Protection of Competition KUS Kazakhstan utility systems LLP kV Kilovolt kW Kilowatt kWh Kilowatt per hour LCOE Levelised Costs of Electricity LLCR Loan Life Cycle Coverage Ratio LTD. Limited Liability Company MW Megawatt MWh Megawatt per hour NDC SO National Dispatcher Center of the System Operator NEG National electric grid NP Non-Commercial Partnership NPV Net Present Value

6 Short for . Definition . OJSC Open Joint-Stock Company PAO Public Joint Stock Company PP Power Plant PV Photovoltaic REC Regional Energy Company REgC Regional Electricity Grid Companies RES Renewable Energy Source RF Russian Federation RFC Financial Settlement Center of RES in Kazakhstan RnD Research and development activities SME Small and Medium Business Enterprises SPP Solar Power Plant TPP Thermal power plant TW Terawatt TWh Terawatt per hour UES Unified Energy System (or UPS) UES SO System Operator UES USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics VAT Value Added Tax WACC Weighted Average Cost of Capital WPP Wind Power Plant

7 Objectives of the ENABLING PV Project

The market for solar PV installations has become increasingly international over the last decade. While the first solar boom mainly encompassed developed countries, who supported renewable energies (RE) with often similar support schemes mainly based on feed in tariffs, the landscape for solar energy today is different and much more diverse. Having either already reached or on the verge of reaching cost competitiveness with conventional energy sources in many countries, the number of RE markets and business models that work in those markets have multiplied in the last years. And just as every project is different, so are the conditions and regulatory frameworks in every country. It is in this context of an increasingly international PV market that the German solar association BSW-Solar, together with the consulting firm eclareon, started to investigate business models and the business environment for PV in different countries under the label “ENABLING PV” in 2013. One year later the first study was published and today the series covers Russia, Tunisia, Jordan, Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, Angola, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The label “ENABLING PV” demonstrates the intention of this report: enabling the growth of solar PV based energy around the globe. In order to achieve this, projects need to be realised and the foundation for these is the collection, distribution and discussion of country specific knowledge. ENABLING PV reports shall provide a starting point for those investors and solar entrepreneurs who are interested to expand their business to new markets. This report on the potential of PV in Kazakhstan partly grew out of eclareon’s activities in Kazakhstan in 2019 and 2020. In the second half on 2020, meetings and workshops will be organised with the administration, companies, institutions, universities and potential investors to discuss the possible applications of PV systems and to identify pilot projects. The results of some of these deliberations are presented in this report. For 2020 another visit to Kazakhstan with new workshops is planned. Moreover, the aim is to present the results of the current study, find interested partners on site and develop PV pilot projects in the country.

8 1. Electric Power Sector of Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan is the largest Central Asian country, located in the centre of the Eurasian continent. The country was founded after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Today more than 18.6 million people live in Kazakhstan. With a territory of 2.7 million km2 Kazakhstan is the second largest country in the CIS and the ninth largest in the world [1]. It borders Russia to the west and north, China to the east, and the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the south. The total length of the borders is 12,200 km, 600 km of which are adjacent to the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan is the last CIS country in terms of population density – only 6.71 inhabitants per km2. This is primarily due to the harsh continental climate with its characteristic warm summers and cold winters. Different climatic conditions render Nur-Sultan (Astana) the second coldest capital in the world with an average annual temperature of +3.5° C, while the average temperature in the southern regions it is +15.8° C.

Figure 1 Schematic world map and Kazakhstan on the world map

Source: eclareon 2020, map generated by Pixel Map Generator, amCharts. The country's economy is based on industry (34.1% of GDP), services (61.2% of GDP) and agriculture (4.7% of GDP) [2]. The extraction and export of carbon raw materials (natural gas, oil) ensured a rapid growth rate of the country's GDP. Since 2000, the average GDP growth rate was 9.4% – until the global financial crisis hit in 2008. GDP growth fell to 1.2% in 2009, mainly caused by a sharp drop in oil prices, which fell by 71.9% within a 3 months period[48]. Nevertheless, GDP per capita at purchasing power parity has been growing steadily, increasing by a factor of 3.5 since 2000 and amounting to $27,659 in 2018. This is, with the exception of Russia, the highest figure among CIS countries[14]. Kazakhstan's main export products are mineral products, including oil, gas condensate, copper, natural gas. About 50% of natural gas produced in Kazakhstan is used locally as fuel for power plants[53]. According to Kazakhstan’s Committee on Statistics, the main export partners of the country are Italy (19.2% of total export revenues in 2018), China (10.3%), the Netherlands (10.1%) and Russia (8.6%). The main imported goods are refined petroleum, packaged medicaments, broadcasting equipment, cars and valves [2]. Kazakhstan's main import partners are Russia (39.3% of total imports in 2018), China (16%), Germany (4.9%) and Italy (4.4%) [3].

9 Sector Infrastructure

Energy Sector of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is one of the world's important primary energy producers. The country ranks 10th in the world in terms of crude oil extraction (about 2 million barrels per day). Kazakhstan fully covers its electricity demand through in-house generation. The installed capacity of power generating facilities is constantly growing. Between 2010 and 2020, the total installed capacity of power generation facilities increased by a quarter from 18.24 GW in 2010 to 22.94 GW in 2019 (Figure 2). Electricity generation has also increased by 30% since 2010, reaching 106,000 GWh in 2018.

Figure 2 Total installed capacity of power generation facilities and total annual power generation in Kazakhstan by type of power plants

Source: eclareon 2020 based on: Annual reports of the KEGOC System Operator [57]. Electricity consumption rapidly decreased after the collapse of the USSR and reached its minimum in 1999 with 2.8 MWh per capita, 2 times less than in 1990. This decrease was mainly caused by the wear and tear on power generating equipment, which had not been renewed or replaced, as well as the economic instability of the country. In 1999, the

10 government adopted a program for the development of the electric power industry until 2030. The program included the formation of the Unified Energy System of Kazakhstan, commissioning of new capacities and replacement of worn-out equipment. Thanks to the reconstruction and modernisation of the power sector, as well as economic stabilisation, electricity consumption began to grow rapidly and in 2018 per capita consumption in Kazakhstan was 5.03 MWh. For comparison, in Germany this figure for the same year was 6.67 MWh, in the USA it was 11.85 MWh and 4.02 MWh in China [17]. Today, Kazakhstan's electricity sector still holds the legacy of the Soviet past, despite modernisation and structural adjustment of mechanisms for managing the energy sector. The entire electric power complex is, similar to Russia, united into the Unified Energy System (UES or United Power System – known also as UPS). The UES comprises all power plants, transmission lines and transformer substations. Thus, official data on electricity production and installed capacity can portray the overall status of the whole country. The total installed capacity of UES power plants as of January 2020 was 22,936 MW. Of this installed capacity, the share of solar generation facilities was 2.5% [16]. According to other official data by the Financial Settlement Centre of RE in Kazakhstan (RFC, for more details see section 2 Regulatory and Business Framework), the total installed capacity of electricity generation facilities based on RES in the beginning of 2020 was 1,700 MW, of which solar power plants accounted for 27% (Figure 3). Figure 3 Installed capacity of RES facilities in Kazakhstan at the beginning of 2020 in MW and % of total RES capacity in the country

Source: eclareon 2020, based on RFC 2020 [55] Due to continuous use of outdated power generation facilities and the operation of some facilities at half-capacity, the de-facto used capacity for energy generation is significantly lower than 22,936 MW, namely 19,329 MW. In 2018 Kazakhstani power plants united under the UES generated 106.8 thousand GWh of energy, of which 563 GWh was generated by solar power plants (SPP)[56]. Kazakhstan has sufficient installed generating capacity to cover its own electricity demand. However, due to the regional division of the energy sector, the country is forced to both export and import electricity. In the last few years, electricity production at the expense of RES has increased, but RES still play an insignificant role in electricity production. In 2018 0.5% or electricity was generated from RES. About 70% of the country's electricity is generated by the coal-fuelled power plants which are concentrated in the north of the country [53].

11 Figure 4 Proportion of different energy sources in total installed capacity in Kazakhstan in 2018

Source: eclareon 2020, based on National Energy Report Kazenergy 2019[53] and Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan 2018 [56][46][56]. There are 138 power plants in Kazakhstan, which use different sources of energy and fuel. Their dispatching and coordination is carried out by “KEGOC” Ltd.- the System Operator of UES. The UPS is divided into 3 energy zones: The Northern zone (including the Central zone), the Southern and the Western (Figure 5). Each zone is part of the UES and they are interconnected.

Figure 5 Schematic representation of the three energy zones of the UES of Kazakhstan

Source: eclareon 2020, based on KEGOC System Operator, map generated with Pixel Map Generator, amCharts. • The Northern zone of UES includes Akmola, East-Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Karaganda, North-Kazakhstan, Kostanai, the Aktobe regions and the capital of the republic, Nur- Sultan city. The northern zone is where Kazakhstan’s major coal deposits are located. Therefore, 70% of the country's generating capacity is also located there; power plants are mostly fuelled with locally extracted coal. The surplus of electricity in the zone either sold to Russia or transferred to the Southern zone to cover this zone’s deficit. In 2018, 82,671.9 GWh of energy was generated in the Northern Zone, which accounted for

12 77.5% of the country's total energy generation. Meanwhile, consumption was much lower, at 67.865.3 GWh, which is 65.74% of total country consumption. • The Southern UES zone includes Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and the Turkestan regions, as well as Almaty city, Shymkent city and the Baikonur district. In 2018, 10,814.3 GWh was produced in the Southern zone which formed 10% of the total generation in the country and half of the required in the country capacity. Regional consumption in the same year was 21,940.1 GWh or 21.25% of the total consumption in the country. The power capacity deficit in the Southern zone, is compensated by electricity supplied from the Northern zone [48].

• The Western zone of the UES includes Atyrau, West-Kazakhstan and the Mangistau regions. Kazakhstan’s rich oil and gas deposits, including offshore ones, are concentrated in the Western zone. The zone has no electric connections with UES of Kazakhstan, hence, a parallel work is carried out through the grids of Russia[60]. The Western zone produced 13,310.9 GWh in 2018, 12.5% of the total generation in Kazakhstan. In 2918 consumption in the Western zone reached 13,431.9 GWh, 13% of total national consumption[8] rendering it the most balanced energy zone in terms of supply and demand in the country.

The uneven distribution of generating capacities across the country leads to large grid losses, since electricity is transmitted to the south of the country via outdated long-distance power lines. In addition, the majority of thermal power plants in Kazakhstan are subject to significant wear and tear on electrical equipment. As of 1 January 2019, more than 50% of the thermal power plants have been operational for over 30 years. Due to these factors, national grid losses amounted to 6.3% in 2018 [47]. The example of the East Kazakhstan Regional Energy Company (EK REC) shows that approximately 12% of electricity are lost in the regional grids of Kazakhstan. In 2017 the actual losses in the power grids of EK REC were 410 GWh out of 3,399 GWh of the total transmitted electricity [85]. It has to be noted that data on grid losses in Kazakhstan is not published. Therefore, national and regional estimations might be flawed. Despite the need to import electricity into the Southern region, the country is a net exporter of energy. In 2018, the balance of electric energy transferred to Russia was 3,566 GW*h, and the balance of electric energy transferred to Central Asia was 2.8 GW*h[15].

Electricity Market Stakeholders

The current state of Kazakhstan’s electricity market is the result of a lengthy and large-scale reform process, including the country's transition to market liberalisation and the introduction of sectoral regulation. Both state and private companies operate in Kazakhstan’s energy market. This allows the state to control a strategically important market on the one hand, and on the other hand leaves a window for private capital inflow. Electricity market actors can be divided into the following categories:

• Energy Sector Regulator: Ministry of Energy • Commercial Infrastructure Organisations: Ministry of National Economy, “KREM”, electricity and capacity market operator JSC "KOREM" and "RFC" • Energy Infrastructure Organisations: KEGOC, "Energoinform", JSC and the National Dispatch Center of the System Operator (NDC SO) • Energy Generating Companies: Holding for the Management of State Assets "Samruk", JSC "Samruk"

13 • Power Grid Infrastructure (Operator of the National Electric Grid (NEG): Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Management Company (JSC "KEGOC") • Power Supply Organisations (Distributors)

Energy Sector Regulator

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy is the main supervising body of the energy sector. The Ministry defines and implements the main direction of the state policy in the field of electric power industry, ensures energy security and energy independence, as well as the development of the fuel and energy industries, and the extraction and use of mineral resources. The Atomic and Energy Supervision and Control Committee, a department of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, carries out the technical implementation [47]. In 2008, the Government of Kazakhstan established the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund, which merged the “Samruk” Public Asset Management Holding and the Kazyna State Sustainable Development Fund. Samruk-Kazyna owns and controls the main actors of Kazakhstan’s the power sector. These are, among others, the following organisations: • The Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC), the technological infrastructure organisation of the sector. • Kazakhstan Electric Power and Capacity Market Operator (JSC KOREM), which is a commercial infrastructure organisation. • JSC “Samruk-Energo”, the largest electricity producer, operating large CHPs and HPPs (see Section 1.2.4)

Commercial Infrastructure Organisations

The Committee for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies and Protection of Competition (KREM) operates under the leadership of the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan, which carries out tariff regulation in the country, being the object of commercial infrastructure of the energy sector. The commercial infrastructure organisation is KOREM JSC. The main function of the company is to conduct power spot trades. It also organises auction tenders for electric power from renewable energy sources [41].

Technology Infrastructure Organisations

The technological infrastructure organisations include KEGOC, “Energoinform” and the National Dispatcher Centre of the System Operator (NDC SO):

• KEGOC JSC was established in 1996 to act as the System Operator of the UES and is a national power transmission company and system operator. Its main tasks are the transmission of electric energy through the national grid (NEG, rus. НЭС), technical dispatching of supply to the grid and consumption of electric energy, as well as balancing production and consumption of energy. • “Energoinform” is owned by KEGOC and provides maintenance of NEG equipment and telecommunication services for KEGOC's activities. The company’s responsibilities include automated metering and control. Distribution and consumption of electric energy at UES substations is carried out by ASKUE, the Automated System of Commercial Energy Metering[49]. • The National Dispatching Centre of System Operator (NDC SO) is a subsidiary of KEGOC JSC and provides centralised operational dispatching for the production,

14 transmission and consumption of electric energy. NDC SO also controls the technical condition and safe operation of the UES, and manages interstate electric energy flows.

Energy Producers

Energy generating companies produce and sell electricity to distribution companies on the wholesale and retail markets. Both public and private power generation companies operate in Kazakhstan. The largest state-owned company is Samruk-Energo JSC ("Samruk-Energo"), effectively owned by the similarly fully state-owned Samruk-Kazyna JSC. The graph below (Figure 6) shows the capacity and generation of the largest energy producers. "Samruk-Energy owns 34% of the total installed capacity of UES power plants and produces about 36% of the country’s energy, see Table 1.

Table 1 Installed capacity of the largest power generating companies of Kazakhstan Total installed generating Average annual power Company capacity, MW generation, GWh

SAMRUK-ENERGO* 7,865 36,716 Eurasian group 3,262 19,574 Central Asian Energy 1,218 7,025 Corporation Kazakhmys Energy 1,010 6,437 Kazakhstan utilitя 1,058 6,376 systems (KUS) Zhambylskaya GRES 1,230 1,878.8 Other (partially public) 6,265.3 25,001

Source: Annual report of Samruk-Energy 2018, 2019 [12], [18][12] Figure 6 Power generation in Kazakhstan by major energy generating companies

Source: eclareon 2020, based on the annual report of JSC "Samruk-Energo" 2018[12]

15 Energy is generated by 138 power plants (including RES), most of them private. Power plants are divided into power plants of national importance, power plants of industrial importance and power plants of regional importance. Power plants of national importance are the main large power plants that produce and sell electricity in Kazakhstan. These include 5 thermal power plants: "Ekibastuzskaya GRES-1", "Ekibastuzskaya GRES-2", "ERG" JSC, "Eurasian Group", etc., as well as hydropower plants (HPP): "Kazzinc" Bukhtarma HPP, "AES Ust-Kamenogorskaya HPP" LLP, "AES Shulba HPP"). Power plants of industrial importance are thermal power plants, which generate electric and thermal energy for power and heat supply of large industrial enterprises and small settlements (CHP-3 of Karaganda Energy Center, PVS CHP of Karaganda smelting plant, CHP-2 of “ArcelorMittal Temirtau” JSC, Balkhash CHP, Zhezkazgan CHP). Regional power plants are cogeneration plants integrated with territories. They sell electric energy through the grids of regional power grid companies and energy transmitting organisations, and provide heat supply to nearby cities.

Grid infrastructure

• The actor with the most important role in Kazakhstan's grid infrastructure is the National Electric Grid Operator (NEG). Owned by KEGOC, it plays a formative role, connecting Kazakhstan’s regional power systems and those of the neighbouring states (Russian Federation, Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan). NEG also provides electricity to power plants and transmits it to wholesale consumers. The united substations, switchgears and power grids of 0.4-1,150 kV, are part of the NEG. • Energy Transmitting Organisations (ET) transmit energy through either own or other power networks (via rent, lease, trust management or other types of agreement) to wholesale and retail market consumers, as well as to energy supplying organisations on the basis of power transmission contracts. At present, the number of ETs in Kazakhstan is 152. The Ministry of Energy plans to consolidate REC, therefore a reduction of the number of ETs to 110 by 2022 is planned [42].

Electricity Sales Companies

Energy Supply Companies (ESCs) purchase electricity from power generating companies or via centralised bidding to supply their customers. At present, 16 ESCs are operating in all 11 regions. Most consumers in Kazakhstan not permitted to choose their ESCs, as usually there is just 1 ESC per region (except for Akmola and the North-Kazakhstan regions where there are 2 ESCs per region).

Electricity Consumption and Demand

The largest share of electricity produced in Kazakhstan is consumed by the industrial sector, over 65% of total energy consumption, 13% of which is used for powering power plants. Among industrial consumers are enterprises such as Akusuk Ferroalloy Plant, Arcelor Mittal Temirtau, Kazakhstan Electrolysis Plant and NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. It should also be noted that KEGOC JSC consumed about 3,000 GWh of energy in 2018 [53].

16 Figure 7 Electricity consumption by sector in 2019 in Kazakhstan

Source: Eclareon 2020 based on Committee on Statistics, Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2018 [57]. The demand for electricity in the country is constantly growing. Experts predict that electricity consumption in Kazakhstan will increase to 136,000 GWh by 2030[59].

On-Grid Power Generation

After the country’s independence, Kazakhstan’s energy system consisted of 4 isolated zones: the Northern, Southern and Western zone, as well as the Aktyuminsk energy zone. Today, the North and South are interconnected by power transmission lines, while the Western zone is working in parallel with the Russian UPS, rendering it an integral part of the unified energy system. 374 overhead power transmission lines with a total length of 26,900.91 km are on the balance of KEGOC JSC branches, Intersystem Electric Networks" (IEN). In total, there are 9 IENs located across the country, with a total of 80 electric substations with voltage of 35-1,150 kW and installed transformer capacity of 38,246.05 MVA. These networks connect the different regions. Regional power grids connect regions, and transmit energy to retail consumers. The regional power grids are owned by Regional Electricity Grid Companies (REgCs).

Off-Grid Power Generation

Data on distributed (off-grid) generation in Kazakhstan is not publicly available. Since state institutions do not keep statistics on off-grid areas of Kazakhstan, it is extremely difficult to estimate the volume of electricity generation from off-grid diesel/gas/petrol gensets. There are also at least 100 very small settlements in Kazakhstan, which do not have a grid power supply at all [79]. Generally, far from the central electricity supply, farmers and villagers use portable gasoline and diesel generators. Coal and firewood are still widely used for heating and cooking. In the Western steppes of the country farmers and/or shepherds will sometimes purchase own power generating facilities to provide water for their livestock or flocks [84]. Diesel and gas generation is also used by companies which, due to their activities, have to have autonomous generation in areas without a connection to the electricity grid. Among such companies are uranium ore mining, oil processing, ski resorts and gas supply companies [83].

17 Electricity Markets, Prices, Tariffs and Costs

Like many countries, Kazakhstan has wholesale and retail electricity markets, as well as various different tariff accounting mechanisms.

Wholesale and Retail Markets

On the wholesale electricity market, energy generating companies sell electricity to companies supplying energy, as well as to wholesale consumers with access to the national or regional electricity grids [42]. Since 2019, Kazakhstan also has a capacity market. So, not only electricity but also capacity is sold on the wholesale market. The electricity market is divided into wholesale and retail. The market structure is schematically shown below (Figure 8)[37]. Figure 8 Schematic structure of electric energy and capacity market in Kazakhstan

Electricity Market

Wholesale market Retail

Regional Electricity Grid Companies Decentralised market Central trade market (REgCs)

Systems and support Electric power market services market Energy Suppliers

Balancing market (in Direct consumers simulation mode)

Source: eclareon 2020, based on the National Energy Report Kazenergy 2019 KAZENERGY - Kazakhstan Association of Oil and Gas and Energy Complex Organisations, "National Energy Report", 2019, online: http://www.kazenergy.com/upload/document/energy-report/NationalReport19_ru.pdf , access mode: April 7, 2020[53] The stakeholders of the wholesale electricity market are: • Energy generating companies supplying at least 1 MW of average daily (base) capacity to the wholesale market • Power transmission companies (distributors)

18 • Energy sales companies (without own power grids) buy electricity at the wholesale market resell at least 1 MW of average daily (base) capacity • Electricity consumers who purchase electricity at the wholesale market (at least 1 MW of average daily (base) capacity) • the System Operator, JSC "Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Management Company KEGOC" (henceforth System Operator UES) • the operator of centralised trade regarding electric energy and capacity, JSC KOREM • the Calculation and Finance Centre for Support of Renewable Energy Sources (henceforth RFC), a subsidiary of KEGOC The relationships of the listed players on the energy market are as shown below (Figure 9).

Figure 9 Scheme of the Electricity Market in Kazakhstan

Source: eclareon 2020, based on the National Energy Report Kazenergy 2019 KAZENERGY - Kazakhstan Association of Oil and Gas and Energy Complex Organisations, "National Energy Report", 2019, online: http://www.kazenergy.com/upload/document/energy-report/NationalReport19_ru.pdf , access mode: April 7, 2020[53] In 2018, the total volume of electric power transmission through the National Electricity Grid of KEGOC amounted to 44.7 billion kWh. This volume of electricity was purchased both through the decentralised and the centralised markets.

19 1.3.1.1 Decentralised Electricity Market

The decentralised market for the purchase and sale of electric energy entails independent bilateral transactions by subjects of the wholesale market in a certain period of time, regulated by the terms of the contract (week, month, quarter, year)[35]. The volume of transactions under bilateral contracts accounts for approximately half of the total volume of electricity transmission through the grids of a system operator. In 2018, the transaction volume of on the decentralised market constituted 52 % of the total volume transferred through the grids of the System Operator. Power sale and purchase contracts are divided into 2 types: • Contracts for the purchase and sale of electricity, which provide for the physical supply of electric energy through the national electric grid. Such contracts are registered by the system operator, who also verifies the availability of access to the national electric grid for power generating companies and consumers. In case of transferability, the UES System Operator dispatches energy in accordance with the necessary technical requirements. • Electric power purchase and sale contracts providing for transmission or transit of electric power through the power grids of neighbouring countries. These contracts are also need to be registered by the UES System Operator. 1.3.1.2 Centralised Electricity Market

The market of centralised electricity trading organizes short-, medium- and long-term electricity trading, and can thus objectively indicate current market prices. The share of centralised bids in the total volume of electricity transmission through the System Operator's networks is approximately 50%. In 2018 the total volume of transactions in the centralised trading market amounted to 48% of the total volume of electricity transmission through the networks of the System Operator, which was 21,260 GWh. The following types of centralised trade are conducted on the market for centralised trade: • Spot trade in "one day ahead" and "within the operating day": "Day-ahead" spot bids are held in the form of an auction, where the market operator draws up sorted charts of supply and demand from bidder’s requests for purchase and sale of electricity. KEGOC submits the auction results to the UES System Operator for approval [37]. The “day- ahead” spot trading forms less than 0.5% of all transactions, 611 GWh in 2018. Spot trades "within the operating day" are carried out as continuous counter trades online. KEGOC pairs certain buyers and sellers, as well transaction prices to the UES System Operator to include in the daily ‘schedule’ of delivery and consumption [36]. "Within the operating day" spot trades constitute about 0.5 % of the total amount of all transactions in the centralised market, 114 GWh in 2018. • Medium- and Long-term Electric Power Trading: The market operator determines the schedule of electric energy trading for different periods (week, month, quarter, year). Following the results of the bidding, the price of purchase and sale for each transaction as well as the volume for each "seller-buyer" pair are determined. 99% of transactions on the centralised auctions of electric energy are concluded for the medium- and long-term. Medium-term are usually weeks or months, while long-term contracts cover quarters or years. In 2018, the volume of electricity traded was 21,010 GWh. 1.3.1.3 Balancing Electricity Market

The main task of balancing the market in real-time is the physical and subsequent financial settlement of hourly imbalances which arise during the operational day between the actual and contractual values of production and consumption of electricity. On the electricity balancing market, the physical settlement of imbalances is performed by the System Operator (KEGOC

20 JSC), the financial settlement is performed by the Settlement Centre (Energoinform JSC, a subsidiary of KEGOC JSC). At present, the balancing market operates in a simulation mode until January 1st, 2021. 1.3.1.4 Market for System and Support Services

KEGOC provides system services and support services to ensure the reliability of the UES, and the quality of electric energy, established by state standards. On a contractual basis, the System Operator provides the following system services to the wholesale market participants: • Electric power transmission services through the NEG, ensuring technical support • Technical dispatching services • Capacity reservation services • Services regarding the balance between production and consumption of electricity [35].

1.3.1.5 Electric Power (Capacity) Market

The market of electric capacity was created to attract investment for the maintenance of existing power capacities and commissioning new capacities to sufficiently cover demand. The market has been operating since January 1st, 2019 through the purchase and the provision of a centralised power availability service[39]. The market for electric capacity is based on the "Single Purchaser" model, where the FRC (Financial Settlement Centre of RES in Kazakhstan) takes on the role of the Single Purchaser. The sale of capacity services within the capacity market is carried out both in a centralised and decentralised zone. Bidding on the capacity market is carried out separately for each UES zone. Joint auctions are held for the Northern and Southern zones (due to the capacity of transmission lines), and separate auctions for the Western zone. Following the results of the auctions, the volume of capacity purchased and sold and the list of energy generating players included in the volume of auctions are determined [38]. Centralised purchase of capacity from energy producers is carried out in the following sequence: Figure 10 Centralised purchase of capacities from power generating organisations

• RFC concludes a capacity purchase contract with power generating organisations based on the results of tenders held to cover the projected power grid capacity deficit within the framework of 1 the annually approved 7-year balance sheet.

• RFC concludes contracts with energy generating companies that have entered into investment agreements with the Ministry of Energy and/or organisations which are included into the group 2 involved in coverage of the forecast deficit in the UES of the country.

• Further contracts are concluded with CHPs and TPPs to cover the minimum demanded 3 generating capacity to provide the population with heat.

• Last but not least, contracts with energy generating companies are concluded as a result of competitive bidding at a special trading platform of JSC KOREM at a price not exceeding the 4 maximum tariff for the service of maintaining the availability of electric capacity

Source: eclareon 2020, based on materials of the RES Support Settlement and Finance Center, 2018 [47]

21 Decentralised purchase of capacities is similar to the electricity market, based on bilateral contracts.

1.3.1.6 Formation of electricity prices

Electricity tariffs for end consumers are generated by summing up all additionally required payments and the cost for electricity transmission and sales services. These include the following:

tariff on distribution and regional sales premiums of cost of electricity transmission by distribution and energy supplying from power plants means of inter- transmission tariff organisations regional grids

Kazakhstan's power sector has a regulated tariff formation model in which all electricity tariffs are regulated by the government. The electricity tariff in Kazakhstan today is the following: the cost of electricity generation (55%), transportation (40%) and the surcharge by energy suppliers (5%)[45]. All tariffs in the power sector can be classified according to the following types (all tariffs are shown excluding VAT (VAT for 2020 is 12%): • Tariffs for power plants that cover the cost of electricity production. They are approved by the Ministry of Energy for each group of power plants individually (currently there are 44). The Ministry also sets ceiling prices. These are set for a 7-year period, taking into account the maximum cost of electricity production for each group in relation to the cost of the previous year at the time of the tariff calculation [51]. The marginal tariffs of energy generating companies noticeably vary from 1.1 KZT/kWh (0.0024 EUR/kWh) to 13.68 KZT/kWh (0.029 EUR/kWh). The average ceiling tariff in 2019 was 6.63 KZT/kWh (0.014 EUR/kWh) and in 2020 it was 7.48 KZT/kWh (0.016 EUR/kWh). [40]. • Tariffs for transmission of electricity through the power grids of KOGOC JSC, which are set by Kazakhstan’s antimonopoly committee (the Committee for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies, Protection of Competition and Consumer Rights of KREM of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan). The tariffs of JSC "KOGOC" are generated based on the following: • Tariff for transmission of electricity. In 2019 the tariff was 2,823 KZT/kWh (0.00603 euro/kWh). In 2020, the tariff decreased to 2,797 KZT/kWh (0.00596 EUR/kWh). • Tariff for technical dispatching. In 2019 and 2020 the tariff was 0.306 KZT/kWh (0.00065 EUR/kWh). • Tariff for balancing production/consumption of electric energy. In 2019 and 2020 the tariff remained unchanged at 0.098 KZT/kWh (0.00021 EUR/kWh). Due to this, the total tariff of KEGOC in 2019 was 3,227 KZT/kWh (0.0069 EUR/kWh), and in 2020, 3,192 KZT /kWh (0.0068 EUR/kWh)[40] • Tariffs for transmission and distribution of electric energy through regional grids. Such tariffs are set individually by local departments of the antimonopoly authority for each region. The surcharge depends on the network topology, grid length, voltage levels, number of consumers and other technical features. At the same time, the tariff also depends on the scheme of electric energy delivery. This depends on which power source (station) is supplied and through which electric networks it is delivered.

22 The average tariff for Regional Electricity Grid Companies in 2020 was 4.74 KZT /kWh (0.01 EUR/kWh) [39]. • Tariffs of Energy Supply Companies (ESCs). Sales mark-ups of ESCs are set by the antimonopoly authority, however ESCs have the right to demand the increase of their electricity tariffs from the antimonopoly committee [18]. • Tariffs of KOREM JSC include the following elements: 1. Tariff for services to ensure readiness of the trading system for centralised electricity trading, paid by all wholesale market participants. In 2019 it was 0.0033 KZT /kWh. (0.00001 EUR/kWh) 2. Tariff for provision of services for purchase and sale of energy by bidders, paid by all bidders of centralised auctions. In 2019 it was 0.002 KZT /kWh. (0.00426 EUR/kWh) 3. Tariff for provision of services for the centralised trading of electric capacity. In 2020, it was 1,139,710 KZT (2,430.2 euros) from each participant in the centralised trading of electric capacity. 4. Tariff for services referring to the holding of auction tenders for selection of projects using renewable energy sources. In 2020 it was 628,497 KZT (1,340.14) per auction bidder [39]. 1.3.1.7 Electricity Tariffs for End Users

In total, there are three main price categories on the electricity market: 1. Electricity prices for consumers on the wholesale market: electricity pricing is regulated by taking into account the price ceiling, which is determined by bilateral contracts, or by auctions for short-, medium- and long-term periods. The table shows the results of centralised trading for 2019. Table 2 Prices for wholesale market consumers Minimum price in tenge per Maximum price in tenge per kWh Name kWh Spot trades in day-ahead 4.05 9.5 mode (0.00864 euro/kWh) (0.02026 euro/kWh) Spot bargains "during the 4.5 11.13 operating day." (0.0096 euro/kWh) (0.0237 euro/kWh) Bidding for medium and 4.2 10 long periods (0.00896 euro/kWh) (0.02132 euro/kWh) Source: Committee on Statistics of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Tariffs are shown without VAT (VAT in 2020 is 12%)[58] Industrial consumers include power generating companies operating in Kazakhstan and supplying electricity to the wholesale and retail markets. There is a special marginal tariff for industrial consumers, which is defined in relation to the type of generation. The minimum ceiling price for HPP facilities is 4.5 KZT/kWh (0.0096 EUR/kWh), and the maximum tariff for gas turbine power plants (GRES) is set at 12.68 KZT/kWh (0.027 R/kWh) (for more details see Table 3). 2. Electricity tariffs for industrial customers: Table 3 Tariffs for industrial consumers in 2019 Name Price in tenge per kWh at Price in Euros per kWh at maximum maximum tariff* tariff* Coal-fired power plants 8.8 0.18764 Coal Combined heat and 7.5 0.0169 power stations

23 Name Price in tenge per kWh at Price in Euros per kWh at maximum maximum tariff* tariff* Gasovyna KES 9.47 0.02019 Gas CHPs 7.6 0.0162 GTES 12.68 0.02704 HPP 4.5 0.0096

Source: Committee on Statistics of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Tariffs are shown without VAT (VAT in 2020 is 12%)[58]

3. Tariffs for the population (household consumers) on the retail market: these are set by the local executive authority on tariffs, in accordance with the tariff ceiling set by the Ministry of Energy. From 2009 to 2017 electricity tariffs in Kazakhstan differed depending on time of day and volume of electricity consumption. There was a minimum and maximum tariff, which was approved by the KREM of the Ministry of Energy. Mid-2017 the Government of Kazakhstan abolished this system. The population purchases electricity at three different types of tariffs, depending on the volume of energy consumption. These tariffs mostly depend on the presence or absence of electric stoves in a household. Consumers using electric stoves include residents who do not have a gas connection[21] • the first level tariff applies to electricity use to up to 100 kWh per individual. The average price in Kazakhstan for January 2020 was 11.46 KZT/kWh (0.0244 EUR/kWh). • second level tariff is paid by individuals consuming more than 101 kWh and up to 190 kWh per individual. The average price in Kazakhstan for January 2020 was 14.82 KZT/kWh (0.0252 EUR/kWh). • the tariff of the third level applies to individual consumers with more than 190 kWh consumed per individual. The average price in Kazakhstan for January 2020 was 18.28 KZT/kWh (0.039 EUR/kWh). Residential electricity tariffs vary in Kazakhstan's cities. This is primarily due to their geographical location. Electricity transit takes longer from the producer to the consumer, due the structural deficit of generation capacity in some regions. Therefore, the final cost of electricity in remote areas is sometimes over three times as high as in other parts of the country [19]. The most affordable tariffs for consumers (taking into account location and average monthly salary) are Atyrau, Aktau, Astana, Uralsk and Aktobe, mainly located in western Kazakhstan. Less affordable tariffs can be found in cities like Kostanai, Taldykorgan (Almaty Oblast), Taraz, Shymkent and Kazylorda [49].

24 Figure 11 Tariffs for residential consumers by type

Source: eclareon 2020, based on materials of the Committee on Statistics of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan[58]

Investment Framework for PV

Solar Irradiation

Kazakhstan has sufficient natural resources and production potential to create a full-fledged photovoltaic industry. The country has large deposits of heliotechnical quartz, the main raw material for silicon production. The country has approximately 25% of all quartzite deposits in the CIS countries, which amount to 65 million tonnes [22]. The average number of sunshine hours per year is 2,392, which corresponds to 100 days. Therefore, the total estimated resource potential of Kazakhstan for solar energy is about 2,200-3,000 sunshine hours per year, 2.5 billion kWh per year. This is 25 times more than the present consumption and production of electricity.

25 Figure 12 Annual global solar radiation on a sloping surface (GTI) of Kazakhstan

Source: Global Solar Atlas [65] The insulation in Kazakhstan is 1,363 kWh/m2/year[24], and the estimated capacity is 1,300 - 1,700 kWh per m2, which is higher than in European countries[25]. The southern region is the most favourable for solar energy. Due to the geographical location, the number of sunny days per year on average exceeds 120 with an average capacity of 1.542 kWh/m2/year. These figures are comparable to those of African countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Uganda [25]. Taking into account the considerable deficit of electric power in the region, the southern region could play a key role for the implementation of "green" economy projects in Kazakhstan. According to plans by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, the region will implement RES projects with a total capacity of 2,615 MW will be implemented in the region from the period of 2015 to 2025[27]. In 2019, the total installed capacity of RES in Kazakhstan was 1700 MW, of which 31 were SPPs [28]. This is 0.5% of the total electricity generation in Kazakhstan. Capacity generated by solar power plants increased by a factor of 2.5 from 209 MW in 2018 to 541.7 MW in 2019. In the same time period electricity generation by solar quadrupled from 142.28 million kWh to 563.14 million kWh [29].

Participants of PV Market in Kazakhstan

Solar power in Kazakhstan has developed relatively recently. In 2009 Kazakhstan ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, Kazakhstan has embarked on the path of "green" development. The government, represented by president Nursultan Nazarbayev, adopted a new political course and understood the need to attract investments of 1% of GDP annually, which is equivalent to 3-4 billion U.S. dollars per year [29] to aid this course. Investments are attracted from both foreign countries and by the state itself. In order to attract foreign investors, the Government of Kazakhstan formulated institutional and legislative frameworks for the systematic introduction of RES. In 2009, Kazakhstan adopted a law "On Support of Renewable Energy Sources", aimed to create favourable conditions for the development of RES. In 2012, the Government of Kazakhstan adopted the "Kazakhstan-2050" strategy, which is to direct the long-term economic development of the country towards a sustainable and efficient economic model based, the transition to a "green economy". The "green economy" prioritizes the development of RES. In 2013, the President of Kazakhstan signed the Concept on

26 Transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the "green economy". The main strategic objectives of renewable energy development in this transition concept are: • 3% share of RES in total electricity production by 2020 • 10% share of RES in total electricity production by 2030 • 50% share of RES in total electricity production by 2050 Prior to 2013, the country had put in effort to develop the institutional and legislative framework for the subsequent implementation of RES projects, but there was no significant growth in project volumes. Therefore, the government began to introduce amendments and adopt some changes in legislation (for more details see 2.2.1). First positive results of these new favourable conditions were noticed in 2015, when the total capacity of construction applications for RES facilities amounted to 7 GW [53]. This supply prompted the Government of Kazakhstan to limit the commissioning of new facilities by introducing amendments to the legislation regarding the gradual commissioning of RES. The following indicators of the RES sector development from 2020-2025 were identified: Table 4 Targets for RES sector development until 2020 Approved capacity until 2020, RES type Projected capacity until 2025, MW MW WES 933 1,200 SES 467 1,100 Small HPPs 290 219 Biogas plants 10 15 Total power 1,700 2,615

Source: Kazenergy, National Energy Report 2019 [53] Solar energy is given special attention in Kazakhstan's plans to transition to a green economy. Within the framework of the joint project of the Ministry of Energy and UNDP "Support to the Implementation of the Concept of Transition to a Green Economy and Institutionalisation of the Green Bridge Partnership Programme" the Atlas of Solar Resources of Kazakhstan was created. The map presents resource maps, maps for assessment of solar energy potential, climate maps, maps of solar energy objects and maps of limitations and prerequisites for the location of solar energy objects [25]. Solar power in the country is in great demand among investors in Kazakhstan's RES sector. In 2018, the first pilot auctions offered 1,000 MW of installed capacity for RES installations, 29% (290 MW) of which were intended for NPPs. According to the auction results, among the 36 selected projects, the highest demand was for solar power plants, accounting for more than 30%. This corresponds to 270 MW of the total capacity of the selected projects of 857.9 MW [72]. The total number of commissioned capacities at the end of 2019 was approaching targets set. The approved PV capacity for 2020, 467 MW, has already surpassed, reaching 542 MW by the end of 2019. In order to achieve all targets within 2020, 650 MW of newly installed PV capacity shall be introduced.

27 Figure 13 Installed capacity of RES facilities and solar power plants in Kazakhstan

Source: eclareon 2020, based on materials of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan [62]. Figure 14 Installed RES objects within the framework of auctioning in Kazakhstan by type of generation

Source: eclareon 2020, based on calculations by the Renewable Energy Calculation and Finance Center, 2019, map generated by Pixel Map Generator, amCharts[67]. The following companies are involved in solar energy projects implemented through auctions (see Section 2.1.1):

28 Table 5 Private companies-winners at auction in 2018, 2019 in the solar energy sector of Kazakhstan Installed Company Auction price, Auction price, Company name capacity, Country tenge/kWh euro/kWh MW "Solar System" Kazakhstan 10.5 9.9 0.021 "KazSolar 50" Kazakhstan 26 16.97 0.036 "Hydroenergy company Bulgaria 50 18.6 0.04 JSC "Hydroenergy company Bulgaria 10 29 0.062 JSC "Hydroenergy company Bulgaria 10 19.58 0.042 JSC "Shell Kazakhstan B.V. Netherlands 50 22.9 0.049 Branch" "DALA SOLAR" Kazakhstan 2 18 0.038 "TechnoBasalt" Ukraine 3 28.99 0.062 "DSTO Solar" Kazakhstan 10 19.6 0.042 "KK-KIUNSEN" Korea 10 19.63 0.042 "MISTRAL ENERGY" Kazakhstan 50 25.8 0.055 "URBASOLAR SAS" Switzerland 5 28 0.06 "Avelar Solar Technology" Russia 50 22.5 0.048 "Avelar Solar Technology" Russia 20 18.6 0.04 Source: RFC RES JSC, results of auction tenders in 2018 and 2019. [66]. With some exceptions, small RES projects do not have separate regulatory and incentive mechanisms. There are, for example, social assistance programs for RES targeting residents of settlements without connection to the grid. In this case, buyers of small RES units (up to 5 kW) produced in Kazakhstan can receive subsidies up to 50% of the installation cost. Farmers can receive subsidies up to 80% of the installation costs in case the energy from a PV system is used for agricultural activities. Subsidy applications are created and received by regional akimats (mayors) and are later transferred to the national Ministry of Energy. However, this program has not gained traction among the population because of the high equipment costs [62]. A small number of companies sell turnkey solar systems, ready- made projects, which are marketed to costumers amongst others by them to receive government subsidies, reimbursing up to 80% of the installation cost [78]. Solar turn-key systems of local and foreign production are offered with capacity from 1 kW to 30 kW and cost from 220,000 tenge (472 euros) to 3,200,000 tenge (6,860 euros)[81]. Among the offers for solar power generation turnkeys are autonomous solar power plants, solar collectors, LED lights on solar panels and wind generators, as well as hybrid wind-solar power plants.

29 Groups of potential users of solar power generation

Group 1: Large PV power plants of several dozen MW (on-grid), selling energy to RFC, which resells it to conditional1 consumers (see Section 332.1.1). Investors may find such projects attractive due to some advantages, such as the guaranteed purchase of solar energy by the state. Group 2: Small PV systems for the agricultural sector of 500 W-5-8 kW (on and off-grid). Farmers are one of the target groups for small solar power plants. Based on the resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated April 29, 2014 "The rules of subsidy to reimburse part of the costs incurred by the agro-industrial complex in investment" provides for the return of up to 80% on the purchase of solar power plants. According to the resolution, the CAPEX of the installation should not exceed 2 million tenge, and its installed capacity should not exceed 500 Watt[80]. This incentive has led to the provision of electricity from PV to 235 farmers in the West-Kazakhstan region [91]. However, it is planned to increase the allowed capacity. In practice, there are cases, where the installed capacity of such projects reached 8 kW and still 80% of the CAPEX has been compensated. For this group of consumers, both hybrid diesel-PV solutions and pure PV systems (e.g. for Solar water pumps) might be a viable option. Group 3: Medium-sized PV and hybrid PV systems for mining sites (up to 1 MW) (off- grid). In Kazakhstan, there are many mining companies developing various deposits, from ores to fossil fuel. Although most of them are located in the Western energy zone (known for having no connection to the UES and the most balanced between energy generation and consumption) RES have potential. Worldwide mining companies are known to switch to PV and hybrid solutions, since such energy generating facilities are mobile and can be transferred in case drilling or development sites change. RES solutions allow for greater flexibility, they save costs and materials (e.g. for grids) since they abolish the need to construct permanent power plants next to mining areas. Group 4: Microgeneration up to 5 kW (on-grid). Microgeneration is mainly used by companies that need an autonomous and independent power source. Today, such companies use diesel and gas generators, which they can either purchase or rent from local turnkey power generation system dealers. Group 5: PV and hybrid solutions for remote settlements (off-grid). Kazakhstan still has remote settlements lacking grid connection, dependent on diesel gensets. The development of PV systems plays a crucial role in providing residential consumers a reliable access to energy. Existing diesel and petrol gensets may be complemented by PV systems and lead to the fuel savings, hence, reduce the pay-back-time. A good solution could be to equip settlements with local hybrid PV-diesel systems within the frameworks and project supported by the state or local municipalities, as individual households in those settlements rarely have the financial resources to purchase necessary equipment, even considering the existing subsidies.

1 Conditional consumers are electricity generating companies fueling their PPs with conventional fuels, s.a. coal, gas, petroleum products as well as nuclear

30 2. Regulatory and Business Framework

Regulation and Support Schemes for PV and RES

As noted earlier, issues relating to the transmission and consumption of energy are regulated by Law No. 588-II of July 9, 2004 "On Electric Power Industry". Currently, support scheme for RES projects, the mandatory purchase of electricity from RES sources by RFC at a fixed rate, determined at the auction and taking into account price indexation for a period of 15 years. This support scheme was defined in 2018. Prior to this, fixed tariffs had been in place since 2013, which allowed for more RES projects to be implemented. To date, the state regulates the introduction of energy-generating capacities, setting capacity targets for the RES sector. Since 2009, the main law supporting RES projects is the Law "On Support of Renewable Energy Sources", which defines the basic conditions for electricity and heat production from RES, including the following economic and technical aspects: • establishment of tariffs by local executive bodies for each RES project separately, depending on indicators in the feasibility study • obligation of all regional power grid companies, including the system operator, to purchase electricity from RES to compensate for grid losses at prices determined by the feasibility study of the project • exemption from service fees of power transmission companies, including network and distribution companies for power plants using renewable energy sources • priority dispatching of electricity by the system operator and regional power grid companies produced by power plants with RES In 2013, the notions of fixed tariffs and a single purchaser of RES, represented by the Settlement and Financial Centre (RFC), were introduced into the law. This resulted in the creation of a pool system for purchasing electricity from RES power generating companies. The fixed tariff obliges the single purchaser to purchase all generated energy from the RES power plant. In this case, the investor of this RES PP is considered to be a legal entity. The Settlements and Financial Centre gives a 15-year fixed tariff to the investor, which provides for annual indexation by the inflation rate. For each type of RES facility, the Government of Kazakhstan sets various fixed tariffs. These can be found in the table below from the year of 2014: Table 6 Fixed tariffs for RES objects Price in tenge per kWh Price in euro per kWh at Type of RES facility at fixed tariff* fixed tariff* WPP 22.68 0,049 PV plants, except for power stations using photovoltaic modules based on 34.61 0,075 Kazakhstan silicon Small HPPs 16.71 0,036 Biogas plants 32.23 0,069 Power plants using PV modules based on 70 0,15 Kazakhstani silicon Source: Kazenergy, National Energy Report 2019 [53] Tariffs are shown without VAT (VAT in 2020 is 12%) These fixed tariffs apply to projects that were concluded before the introduction of the auction bidding mechanism in Kazakhstan (2014-2018), (See 2.1.1 further details).

31 Renewable energy generation companies in Kazakhstan are exempt from paying for electricity transmission services. In addition, another special regime is in place for RES project: They are exempt from customs duties on basic equipment and value added tax on imports. This means that RES equipment imported into Kazakhstan as part of the implementation of RES projects is subject to customs preferences (see 2.3.2). In accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, there is a procedure for granting investment preferences depending on type of investment and investment priority [32]. • For investment projects, exemption from customs duties and value added tax on imports is provided. Also, investment projects can receive a state natural grant with a maximum size of 30% of the investment volume. So, the state provides 30% of CAPEX. • Special investment projects additionally to the preferential treatment outlined above, receive preferential corporate income, land and property taxes. • Investment priority projects receive further investment subsidies. At the end of February 2020 a Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan was signed, which designated all RES projects as priority investment projects[33]. According to paragraph 284 of the Entrepreneurial Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an investment priority project is defined as the: • Establishment of new production facilities providing for investments in the amount of not less than two million times the amount of the monthly estimated indicator (2,405 KZT), as established on the date of application for investment preferences, investment of around 10 million €. • Expansion or renewal of existing production facilities, providing for investments in the amount of not less than five million times the amount of the monthly estimated index (2,405 tenge), as established on the date of application for investment preferences, investment of around 25 million €. Thus, RES projects can benefit from the following preferential treatment: 1. Tax exemptions: • Exemption from corporate income tax for a period of 5 years, dating from the state registration of manufacturers of RES units • Exemption from land tax, for a period of 10 years, dating from the commissioning of plants • Exemption from property tax for a period of 10 years, dating from the commissioning of power generation units 2. The state support scheme for RES investment reimburses up to 30% of the purchase, construction and installation cost of equipment, excluding value added tax and excise duties provided by the working program of the investment contract [34]. 3. Exemption from customs duties on import of equipment (see2.3.2 details) 4. State non-refundable in-kind grants for up to 30% of the investment volume [51]. The in-kind grants include land plots, buildings, equipment, machinery, measuring and regulating instruments and devices, vehicles (except for passenger cars), production and household equipment. The natural grant is provided free of charge for the duration of the contract. If the investor fulfils all obligations, the Ministry of Investment and Development transfers the grant on a non-reimbursable basis [73]. To receive these benefits, one needs to become a legal entity of the Republic of Kazakhstan and apply for these investment advantages. The application requires a business plan, documents regarding estimated cost of construction and installation

32 work and the cost of purchasing raw materials, equipment and materials for the project and confirmation on project financing. It should be noted that the government may unilaterally terminate the investment contract in case investment requirements are not met.

Auction Bidding Mechanism

In 2018, Kazakhstan introduced an auction mechanism to select renewable energy projects within the planned capacity. These are held online on an independent trading platform "Trade System" by JSC KOREM. The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan determines the required capacity for the year and the maximum auction price at which the auction is to be launched. The lowest bidder receives the right to implement the project at the determined auction price. Based on this price the RFC pledges to buy the generated energy from the producer on a contractual basis. The selection of projects is carried out separately depending on the types of power plants (Wind, Solar, Hydro, Bio), as well as separately for small (up to 10 MW) and large (over 10 MW) power plants. To implement industrial RES projects in Kazakhstan, it is necessary to consistently implement the following points: Figure 15 Implementation scheme for construction of RES facilities through RFC "

•Selecting the right project from the "auction schedule" 1

•Registration in the "trading system" of the market organizer KOREM JSC 2

•Signing an agreement with the auction organizer 3

•Provision of financial support for application for participation in auctions 4

•Participation in auction bidding on the date set for the auction schedule 5

•Winning auction tors by offering the lowest price for 1 kWh 6

•Conclusion of the purchase agreement within 60 days after the inclusion of 7 the winners of the auction bidding in the list of RES

•Contribution of financial security of the contract terms and conditions 8

Source: eclareon 2020 based on "RFC on RES"[86] The auction schedule is established annually by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan and published on the RFC website. Registration on the "Trade System" website is open in different time periods for different types of power plants and volumes of installed capacity [60]. Financial support of the application is guaranteed by a financial security paid by the auction participants. This is KZT 2,000 (EUR 4,265) per 1 kW of installed capacity of the project. Financial security of the application should be issued in favour of RFC, which in this case acts as a beneficiary. Two types of financial security, issued by SWIFT system, are accepted:

33 • Bank guarantees are written unilateral commitments of the bank to the beneficiary with the payment of the amount in favour of RFC. The bank guarantee can be provided both from domestic or international banks. • Standby letters of credit are similar bank guarantee obligations of the bank to the beneficiary to make payment in case the auctioneer cannot fulfil obligations. Figure 16 Scheme of issuing a bank guarantee and standby letter of credit for participants in auction tenders for RES projects

Source: eclareon 2020 based on materials of Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan [68]. 1. Bidder submits intention to participate in auction bidding 2. Participant applies for bank guarantee issue 3. The issued bank guarantee is sent to RFC 4. The winners of the auction are determined 5. If the participant fails to fulfil its obligations under the purchase agreement, or in the event of evasion to conclude the purchase agreement, RFC issues a claim to the bank for payment 6. The Bank pays the amount upon request for payment from RFC 7. The Participant reimburses the amount of the claim to the Bank If the bidder won the bid and received the right to implement the project within 60 days, the purchasing agreement by the RFC is concluded. Such contracts are in the form of Power Purchasing Agreements (PPA). The purchase contract is based on the auction price determined in the course of bidding. It cannot not exceed the ceiling tariff, which in turn is calculated, as mentioned earlier, for 15 years ahead [64]. The purchase contract includes an annual indexation of the auction price of 30-70% starting from the second year. In case the bidder has not become the winner of the auction, the financial security paid will be fully refunded within three days. Conclusion of the purchase agreement provides for the provision of financial security of the contract within one month, which is issued in a similar manner to the financial security required during the application process, i.e. by means of a bank guarantee or standby letter of credit. The amount of security is KZT 10,000 (EUR 21.32) per 1 kW of installed capacity. For solar power plants, this collateral is valid for at least 25 months from the date of signing the purchase agreement. In case of non-observance of construction terms, the investor is fined 30% of the financial collateral, and in case of non-observance of the power plant commissioning terms, the amount increases to 70% the contract is terminated [53]. 30% of the financial collateral is seized if construction and installation works have not started within 12 months.

34 Commissioning of a PV plant should take place not later than 24 months from the date of signing the purchase agreement. For other RES and for bioenergy PP it should take place within 36 months, and for HPP within 48 months. In case of non-observance of the established terms, 70% of the financial collateral is retained. However, it should be noted that it is possible to extend completion of each RES facility for 12 months, if at the time of application 70% of the total amount of work on construction of the facility has already been completed [69]. Since 2019, project auctions have been held which enable investors to sell the construction of a RES facility, accompanied by the pre-project technical documentation. The documentation includes a proposal for installed capacity, location and method of connection to the grid. Among other pre-project preparatory works are [74]: • Assessment of the facility's potential and its possible modes of operation • Engineering, geological and archaeological research on the site • Environmental Impact Assessment • Public hearings • Receipt of relevant information on the land plot of the object construction • Power Distribution Scheme • Coordination with state bodies • Receipt of technical specifications for connection The first pilot project was the construction of a 50 MW solar power plant in Turkestan region near the city of Turkestan, which is located in the southern zone of the UES [75]. The winner of the auction was the Kazakh private company Arm Wind LLP, setting the final price at 12.49 tenge/kWh (0.0266 euro/kWh) (excluding VAT). This tariff is record low in the solar energy market in Kazakhstan. As aforementioned, based on the electricity purchase agreement, RFC buys electricity from a RES facility and then resells it to "conditional customers", electricity generating companies that use coal, gas, petroleum products and nuclear. Conditional consumers include large power generating companies such as Ekibastuz GRES-1 and GRES-2, Kazakhmys Energy and Eurasian Energy Corporation. The RES electricity trading cycle is shown below: Figure 17 The scheme of purchase and sale of the generated electricity by RES stations

Source: eclareon 2020, based on Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan [70].

35 Codes and Standards

Rules of Power Transmission and Technological Connection to the Grid

The scheme of self-consumption in Kazakhstan is available for all consumers with RES facilities up to 100 kW [87]. Based on the law "On support of renewable energy sources", the RES constructing and operating company has the right, after determining the nearest point of connection to the electricity grid, to apply for the connection of the RES facility to the grid. In order to determine the nearest connection point, it is necessary to submit an application to the power transmission company. For this, the following information is needed: name and type of the installation, location of the site, permissible power transmission of the installation, expected productivity, expected power consumption from the installation, technology and method of installation, commissioning date, minimum generation of active power in MW (load) and other technical specifications[82]. After determining the nearest connection point, an application for technical specifications is submitted, which is developed by the power transmission company in case the parameters of the connected installation will not exceed the thresholds of the grid. In case a RES facility has capacity ranging from 0.1 to 10 MW, the application is to be approved by the energy transmitting organisation itself (for example, REC). If capacity exceeds 10 MW, the application is managed by the System Operator.

State Standards for Solar Energy

Since Kazakhstan plans the commissioning of capacities in the RES sector, all projects must pass through RFC. This on the one hand limits the inflow of new capacity, and on the other hand obliges potential investors to adjust to the declared capacity. The state itself provides specific areas for RES projects, which are established based on existing and planned capacities. Due to the absence of separate requirements regarding RES construction, the investor designing SPPs should be guided by architectural and construction regulation norms.

Terms of Trade, Investment and Import

Inflation and Interest Rates

As of December 2019, the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan defines the quantitative inflation rate as 5.8%. The inflation rate increased slightly in comparison to 2018, from 5.3%. It should be noted that in 2017 inflation rate was 7.1% [76]. At the beginning of 2020, the base interest rate in Kazakhstan was 9.5%, which is 0.35% above the average annual interest rate in 2019 [77].

Import Conditions for Photovoltaic Modules

On the basis of the abovementioned support schemes, a special regime for PV project has been introduced, which provides for exemption from customs duties on imported equipment. The exemption is given for no more than 5 years and is based on the following parameters: • Technological equipment for a PV power plant and its equipment configuration • Spare parts, raw materials and materials for a PV power plant No special certification for photovoltaic modules is provided in the country.

36 Financing of Photovoltaic Power Plants

Financing of RES projects is poorly supported by Kazakhstan’s banks. The most active among the country’s financing institutions is the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK). The DBK has already implemented 3 projects in Kazakhstan, including Turgusunskaya HPP-1 (24.9 MW), SPP "Zhilga (20 MW)" and the pilot PV project of Kazakhstan - "Astana Echro-2017 (50 MW)". The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is the main player among foreign banks in financing RES projects. The approved financing program of $600 million covers support for all types of RES projects until 2023. It is planned to allocate about 42% of all funds to Kazakhstan[88]. Recently it was announced that the EDB will allocate US $60m for the construction of a 50MW WPP near Ereimentau[89]. Apart from the EDB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Asian Development Bank are also interested in Kazakhstan's renewable energy projects.

37 3. References

[1]. Committee on Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan. "Basic social and economic indicators", online: https://stat. gov. kz/, access regime 10 April 2020. [2]. Observatory of Economic Complexity, https://oec.world/en/profile/country/kaz/#Imports, access regime 30 April 2020 [3]. Committee on Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Statistical collection on foreign trade of Kazakhstan" for 2018, online: https://stat. gov. kz/official/industry/31/publication,access regime 5 April 2020 [4]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Report on implementation of the strategic plan of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2019", online: http://www. gov. kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/details/13992?lang=ru, access mode 5 April 2020 [5]. The Electric Power Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Executive Committee, "Electric Power Engineering of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Annual Compendium", 2008-2018, "Electric Power Engineering of the Commonwealth of Independent States. , online: http://energo-cis. ru/rumain675/, access regime 5 April 2020 [6]. Online edition "Kursiv", "KEGOC: South of Kazakhstan is rapidly increasing energy consumption", 08.02.2019, online: https://kursiv. kz/news/otraslevye-temy/2019- 02/kegoc-yug-kazakhstana-bystro-naraschivaet-potreblenie-elektroenergii, access mode 5 April 2020 [7]. Online publication "Liter", "Electricity is Growing in Value in Kazakhstan", 18.02.2020, online: https://liter. kz/v-kazahstane-dorozhaet-elektroenergiya/, access mode 12 April 2020 [8]. Kazakhstan Electric Power Association, "Report on Functioning of Electric Power and Capacity Market" for 2018, online: http://www. kea. kz/texts/sovet/2018_12.pdf, access mode 12 April 2020 [9]. Stanford University, "Kazakhstan Energy Survey", 2010, online: http://large. stanford. edu/courses/2010/ph240/sagatov1/docs/kaz_energy_resources_ru. pdf , access mode 10 April 2020 [10]. International Energy Chapter, "Electric Power Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan", 2017, online: https://www. energycharter. org/fileadmin/DocumentsMedia/Events/Kazakhstan_-_Darkhan_Akhmetov. pdf , access mode 15 April 2020 [11]. Taldau - information and analytical system under the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Price Statistics" for 2018: https://taldau. stat. gov. kz/ru/Search/SearchByKeyWord, access mode 13 April 2020 [12]. JSC "Samruk-Energo", "Integrated Annual Report" for 2018 https://www. samruk- energy. kz/images/2019/vacancies/se_ar_2018_ru_t1.pdf , access mode 10 April 2020 [13]. World Bank, "Central Asia Regional Electricity Export Capacity Study", 2004, online: http://documents. worldbank. org/curated/en/804681468023338970/pdf/338770v10RUSSIAN0REEPS1Main1Rep ort. pdf, access mode 10 April 2020 [14]. Wold Economic Outlook Database, Kazakhstan, 2018, online: https://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2018/02/weodata/index. aspx, access mode 10 April 2020 [15]. System operator of JSC "KEGOC", "National Power System", online:https://www. kegoc. kz/ru/o-kompanii/nacionalnaya-energosistema, access mode 10 April 2020 [16]. Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, "Information on power generation by RES facilities" for 2019, online: http://www. gov. kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/details/12625?lang=ru, access mode 15 April 2020

38 [17]. Internet portal "Indexmundi", "Electricity consumption per person by country",2019, online: https://www. indexmundi. com/map/? v=81000, access mode 15 April 2020 [18]. JSC Samruk-Energo, "Electricity and Coal Market Analysis of Kazakhstan" for 2018, 2019, online: https://www. samruk-energy. kz/ru/press/analytical-report, access regime 10 April 2020 [19]. Internet publication "Kursiv", "Rating of Kazakhstan's regions on electricity availability", 20.09.2018, online: https://kursiv. kz/news/tendencii-i- issledovaniya/2018-09/reyting-regionov-kazakhstana-po-dostupnosti-elektroenergii https://kursiv. kz/news/tendencii-i-issledovaniya/2018-09/reyting-regionov- kazakhstana-po-dostupnosti-elektroenergii, access regime 10 April 2020. [20]. Internet portal "Inbusiness. kz", "The deputies demanded the return of differentiated tariffs", 18.12.2019, online: https://inbusiness. kz/ru/news/vernut-differencirovannye- tarify-na-elektrichestvo-potrebovali-deputaty, access mode 6 April 2020 [21]. Internet portal "Tengrinews", "Industry" online: https://tengrinews. kz/zakon/agentstvo_respubliki_kazahstan_po_regulirovaniyu_estestvennyih_monop oliy/promyishlennost/id-V090005602_/, access mode 3 April 2020 [22]. Internet portal "Online.zakon.kz", "In Astana from July 1, differentiated tariffs for electricity will be introduced for the population by the volume of consumption", online: https://online. zakon. kz/Document/? doc_id=30430843, access mode 5 April 2020 [23]. http://ecosolar. kz/ru/content/potencial-razvitiya-solnechnoy-energetiki-v-rk, access mode 5 April 2020 [24]. GLOBAR SOLAR ATLAS, "Solar Insolation in Kazakhstan", online: https://globalsolaratlas. info/map? c=48.531157.66.928711.5& r=KAZ accesshttps://globalsolaratlas.info/map?c=48.531157,66.928711,5&r=KAZ April 11, 2020 [25]. Solar Atlas of Kazakhstan. "Atlas of Solar Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan", online: http://atlassolar. kz/access mode 10 April 2020 [26]. https://kursiv. kz/news/otraslevye-temy/2019-05/kak-v-turkestanskoy-oblasti- razvivaetsya-solnechnaya-energetika, access mode 7 April 2020 [27]. "KAZENERGY", "National Energy Report Kazenergy" 2019, online: http://kazenergy. com/upload/document/energy-report/NationalReport19_ru. pdf, access mode 8 April 2020 [28]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Information on power generation by renewable energy facilities" for 2019, online: http://www. gov. kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/details/12625?lang=ru, access regime 15 April 2020 [29]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Information on power generation by renewable energy facilities" for 2018, online: http://www. gov. kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/details/11402?lang=ru, access regime 15 April 2020 [30]. "Concept on transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan to "green economy"" online: https://greenkaz. org/images/for_news/pdf/npa/koncepciya-po-perehodu. pdf, access mode 5 April 2020 [31]. Internet portal "Online.zakon.kz", "Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on support of use of renewable energy sources", 28.12.2018, online: https://online. zakon. kz/Document/? doc_id=30445263#pos=132;-36, access mode 5 April 2020 [32]. Settlement and Financial Center for RES Support, "Investment Preferences", online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/investors/preference access mode 8 April 2020 [33]. Kazakhstan Electricity and Capacity Market Operator, "RES projects included in the list of priority investment projects", 04.03.2020, online: https://www. kz/rus/press- centr/novosti_otrasli/? cid=0& rid=9119, accesshttps://www.korem.kz/rus/press- centr/novosti_otrasli/?cid=0&rid=9119 10 April 2020 [34]. Investment portal, "Investment subsidies", online: http://investinkostanay. kz/ru/page/invest-subs access mode: 17 April 2020 [35]. The Electric Power Council of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Executive Committee, "Rules of Organisation and Functioning of the Wholesale Electric Energy

39 Market of RK", online: http://energo-cis. ru/wyswyg/file/Zakon/Nacional/Kazahstan/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D 0%B8%D0%B%D0%B0%20%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%B0%BD%D0%B8% D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8%20%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%82%D0 %B2%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE%20%D1%8%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0%B0- %D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2.pdf [36]. Online portal "Tengis News", "Industry", online: https://tengrinews. kz/zakon/pravitelstvo_respubliki_kazahstan_premer_ministr_rk/promyishlennost/id- V1500012562/ access mode: April 7, 2020 [37]. Kazakhstan Electric Energy and Power Market Operator, "Trading within a Day", online: https://www. kz/rus/kak_torgovat/torgi_v_techenie_sutok/, access mode 10 April 2020 [38]. Kazakhstan Electric Energy and Power Market Operator, "Bidding for the Day", online: https://www. kz/rus/kak_torgovat/torgi_za_den/ access mode: 10 April 2020 [39]. Kazakhstan Electric Energy and Power Market Operator, "Power Trading", online https://www. kz/rus/kak_torgovat/torgi_moshnost/ access mode: April 10, 2020 [40]. Kazakhstan Electricity and Capacity Market Operator, "Tariffs of Energy Producing Organisations" for 2019 and 2020, online: https://www. kz/rus/analitika/tarify_ore/ , access mode: April 10, 2020 [41]. COREM S.A. Mission and vision. https://www. kz/rus/o_kompanii/missija_i_videnie/ access mode: 17 April 2020 [42]. Internet publication "Informburo", "In Kazakhstan, reduce the number of energy transmission companies", online: https://informburo. kz/novosti/v-kazahstane- sokratili-chislo-energoperedayushchih-kompaniy-80324.html access mode: April 7, 2020 [43]. KEGOC JSC. Electricity market of the Republic of Kazakhstan https://www. kegoc. kz/report2014/rus/rynok-energo. php access mode: April 7, 2020 [44]. Online portal "Zakon.kz", "Forecast of electricity consumption in Kazakhstan. Wear and tear of electrical equipment", online: https://www. zakon. kz/4999652-prognoz- potrebleniya-elektroenergii-v. html access mode: April 7, 2020 [45]. Internet publication "Inform.kz", "Kazakhstan plans to reduce electricity tariffs for energy supplying organisations", online: https://www.inform.kz/ru/v-kazahstane- planiruyut-snizit-tarify-na-elektroenergiyu-dlya-energosnabzhayuschih- organizaciy_a3617515, access mode: April 7, 2020 [46]. Internet publication "RBS.ru""Oil Shock. How and why oil prices were falling in the XXI century", 15.10.2014, online: https://www. rbc. ru/photoreport/15/10/2014/543e53a0cbb20f71659d9494, access mode: April 7, 2020 [47]. KEGOC JSC Annual Report 2018 - https://www. kegoc. kz/ru/investoram-i- akcioneram/raskrytie-informacii/godovye-otchety access mode: April 7, 2020 [48]. Internet publication "365 info.kz", "Kazakhstan has fully provided itself with electricity and is increasing its exports", 05.2019, online: https://365info. kz/2019/05/kazahstan- polnostyu-obespechil-sebya-elektrichestvom-i-narashhivaet-ego-eksport access mode: April 7, 2020 [49]. Internet publication "Energoinform", "Annual report of JSC Energoinform", for 2018, online: http://www. energoinform. kz/index. php/about/investoram-i-edinstvennomu- aktsioneru/godovoj-otchet/item/745-godovoj-otchet-ao-energoinform-za-2018-god access mode: April 7, 2020 [50]. Internet publication "Kursiv.kz", "Rating of regions of Kazakhstan on electricity availability", 09.2018, online: https://kursiv. kz/news/tendencii-i-issledovaniya/2018- 09/reyting-regionov-kazakhstana-po-dostupnosti-elektroenergii access mode: April 7, 2020 [51]. Electricity ceiling tariffs https://www. zakon. kz/4988180-izmeneny-predelnye-tarify- na. html access mode: April 7, 2020 [52]. Kazakhstan Electricity and Capacity Market Operator, "Guidance for investors on implementing RES projects in Kazakhstan", online: https://vie. korem. 9.2019.pdf, access mode: April 12, 2020

40 [53]. KAZENERGY - Kazakhstan Association of Oil and Gas and Energy Complex Organisations, "National Energy Report", 2019, online: http://www.kazenergy.com/upload/document/energy-report/NationalReport19_ru.pdf , access mode: April 7, 2020 [54]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Information on power generation by renewable energy facilities" for 2019, online: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/details/12625?lang=ru, access mode: April 7, 2020 [55]. RFC of Kazakhstan, "On RES Sector", 2020, online: https://rfc.kegoc.kz/vie/about , access regime: April 7, 2020 [56]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Information on power generation by renewable energy facilities" for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, online: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/2?activities=3459irections= 215ang=ru , accesshttps://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/2?activities=3459&di rections=215&lang=ru: April 7, 2020 [57]. Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Management Company, "Annual Reports" for 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017,2018, online: https://www. kegoc. kz/ru/investoram-i- akcioneram/raskrytie-informacii/godovye-otchety, access mode: 15 April 2020 [58]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Fuel and Energy Balance of the Republic of Kazakhstan" for 2014-1018, online: https://stat. gov. kz/official/industry/30/publication, access regime 13 April 2020 [59]. Energy portal of Kazakhstan, article "Kazakhstan's needs in electricity are increasing: consumption grew by 2% per year"., 27.12.2019, online: http://www. energyprom. kz/ru/a/monitoring/nuzhdy-kazahstana-v-elektroenergii- uvelichivayutsya-potreblenie-vyroslo-na-2-za-god, access mode 13 April 2020 [60]. Kazakhstan business portal, "KEGOC spreads networks to the West", 25.07.2018, online: https://inbusiness. kz/ru/news/kegoc-raskinet-seti-na-zapad , access mode: 15 April 2020 [61]. https://vie. kz/rus/uchastie_v_torgah/registration/ [62]. Internet publication "Informburo", "Subsidy program for RES stations in villages has not become popular. It's about high prices for equipment", 10.06.2019, online: https://informburo. kz/novosti/programma-subsidirovaniya-dlya-stanciy-vie-v-syolah- ne-stala-populyarnoy-delo-v-vysokih-cenah-na-oborudovanie. html, access mode: April 15, 2020 [63]. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "Information on power generation by RES facilities" for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, online: https://www. gov. kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/2?activities=3459& directions=215& lang=ru, accesshttps://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/energo/documents/2?activities=3459&di rections=215&lang=ru 15 April 2020 [64]. Kazakhstan Electric Energy and Power Market Operator, "Conclusion of the Contract", online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/investors/contract-conclusion, access mode 10 April 2020 [65]. Global Solar Atlas, online: https://globalsolaratlas. info/map? c=48.56025.66.928711.5& r=KAZ, accesshttps://globalsolaratlas.info/map?c=48.56025,66.928711,5&r=KAZ April 12, 2020 [66]. Settlement and Financial Center for RES support, "Results of conducted auctions" for 2018,2019, online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/auctions/results, access regime 17 April 2020 [67]. Settlement and Financial Center for RES Support, "RES Map", 2019, online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/vie/yamaps, access regime 17 April 2020 [68]. Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan, "Commercial offer of second-tier banks of Kazakhstan on issue of bank guarantees/reserve accounts", 2018, online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/media/docs/441/5bb3572640fa5.pdf, access regime 18 April 2020

41 [69]. Kazakhstan Electricity and Power Market Operator, Q&A, online: https://vie. kz/rus/vopros_otvet/, access mode 20 April 2020 [70]. Calculation and Finance Center for RES Support, "About RES Sector", online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/vie/about, access regime 20 April 2020 [71]. Information-legal system regulations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "On making additions to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on investment to the law of February 20, 2012 № 567-IV" 05.02.2020, online: https://zakon. uchet. kz/rus/docs/Z1200000567, access regime 20 April 2020 [72]. Information and industry resource "EEnergy. media", "Kazakhstan. Results of the first auction tenders for selection of RES projects", 2018, online: https://eenergy. media/2018/11/05/kazahstan-itogi-pervyh-auktsionnyh-torgov-po-otboru-proektov- vie-astana-2018/, access mode 20 April 2020 [73]. Information portal "Online.zakon.kz", "Legislation in the field of renewable energy sources in Kazakhstan", online: https://online. zakon. kz/Document/? doc_id=31647811#pos=6;-106, access mode 20 April 2020 [74]. Settlement and Financial Center for RES support, "Project Auctions", online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/page/proyektnyye-auktsiony, access mode 19 April 2020 [75]. Calculation and Financial Center for RES support, "Pre-project documentation "SES 50 MW". Pilot project of Sanitary and Epidemiological Station". online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/media/docs/729/5d71000b6cee0.pdf, access mode 18 April 2020 [76]. National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, "inflation review" 2019, online: https://nationalbank. kz/cont/%D0%9E%D0%98%20%D0%94%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0%B1%D1%80 %C%202019%20(%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81). pdf, access mode April 20, 2020 [77]. Official internet resource, "National bank of Kazakhstan", 06.04.2020, online: https://nationalbank. kz/? docid=3333& switch=russian, accesshttps://nationalbank.kz/?docid=3333&switch=russian on April 20, 2020 [78]. "Nurkuat Energy, a solar and wind farm monatech company in rural areas of Kazakhstan, online: http://nurkuat. kz/selhoz? Tymoshenko_source=google&Tymoshenko_medium=cpc&Tymoshenko_campaign= pl_searh_2065357126&Tymoshenko_content=366523616586&. utm_term=%2B%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BD %D0%BD1%8F%20%2B%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC% D0%B0%20%2B%D0%B4%D0%B%D1%8F%20%2B%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BC %D0%B0&#. gclid=CjwKCAjw7LX0BRBiEiwA__gNwxn1U4kMr84daQRe8jbM6DAI662XtcM5_-- ZllNQMpCvJV3CylO4kRoCoDAQAvD_BwE, access mode 19 April 2020 [79]. Internet portal "Storm. LivingAsia", "Renewable energy sources in the service of farmers of Kazakhstan", 12.04.2020, online: https://livingasia. online/2020/04/12/vozobnovlyaemye-istochniki-energii-na-sluzhbe-u-fermerov- kazahstana/, access mode 20 April 2020 [80]. Information agency "Agroinform", "Investment subsidies started", 20.08.2014, online: https://agroinfo. kz/investicionnye-subsidii-nachaty/, access regime 20 April 2020 [81]. Company "Greendem", "Presentations and documents of GREENDEM LLP, Price list for autonomous solutions in power supply, lighting and heating", online: https://greda. kz/promo_docs, access mode 19 April 2020 [82]. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations database, "On Approval of the Rules for Determining the Nearby Electricity or Heating Grid Connection and Renewable Energy Connections", online: http://extwprlegs1.fao. org/docs/pdf/kaz112214.pdf, access mode 19 April 2020. [83]. Company "Wilson Kazakhstan", "Implemented projects", online: https://www. fgwilson. kz/gallery, access mode 20 April 2020 [84]. Company "Greendem", "In WKO 103 farms purchased solar power generators", online: More: https://greda. kz/n36043-zko-103-fermerskih. html"https://greda. kz/n36043-zko-103-fermerskih. html, access mode 20 April 2020

42 [85]. East Kazakhstan Regional Energy Company, "Terms of Reference for calculation and substantiation of normative value of electric energy losses in electric networks of JSC "VK REC" for 2019-2023", online: http://www. ekrec. kz/images/docs/2019/tehnicheskaya_specifikacia_copy_copy. pdf, access mode 20 April 2020 [86]. Settlement and Financial Center for RES support, "Selection of RES projects, rules for organizing and conducting auction tenders", online: https://rfc. kegoc. kz/auctions/selections access regime 20 April 2020 [87]. The information portal "Zakon.kz", "RES in every house", the main barriers to the development of small-scale RES projects in Kazakhstan", online: https://www. zakon. kz/4982286-vie-v-kazhdyyyy-dom-osnovnye-barery-dlya. html, access mode 20 April 2020 [88]. Eurasian Development Bank, "The EDB Council approved the program of financing renewable energy projects until 2023 at $600". 23.12.2019, online: https://eabr. org/press/news/sovet-eabr-utverdil-progr2ammu-finansirovaniya-proektov-vie-do-2023-g-na- 600-mln/, access mode: April 20, 2020 [89]. Eurasian Development Bank, "Eurasian Development Bank will allocate KZT 23.2 bln. for construction of a 50 MW wind power plant near Ereimentau city", 01.11.2019, online: https://eabr. org/press/releases/evraziyskiy-bank-razvitiya-vydelit-23-2-mlrd-tenge- na-stroitelstvo-vetrovoy-elektrostantsii-moshchno/, access mode: April 20, 2020 [90]. Eurasian Development Bank, "State Support promotes RES", 26.06.2019, online: https://eabr. org/press/news/gospodderzhka-raskruchivaet-vie/, access mode: 20 April 2020 [91]. Energy online portal "eenergy.media", "Over 100 farms bought solar generators in WKO", 08.08.2018, online: https://eenergy.media/2018/08/08/svyshe-100- fermerskih-hozyajstv-zakupili-solnechnye-energogeneratory-v-zko/ , access mode 23 April 2020

43