Karaganda region has started a large-scale transition to “green” technology. Saran has launched a solar power station, which has already been named the largest in Central Asia. According to the press service of the Karaganda region administration, 307 000 voltaic panels are placed on the area of 164 hectares. They will convert the solar energy into electricity.
The panels installed at the power plant in Saran belong to the latest generation of solar cells that do not have a metal border. Due to this, snow does not accumulate on them, and the rain flows down to the ground, without causing any harm. Even in the very cloudy weather, the panels will be able to generate about 10-15 megawatts of energy. The lifetime of the panels is 40 years.
This is a completely private project. Investors were a group of European companies. They have invested 137 million dollars in the project. For the most efficient operation of the panels in Saran, a new sub-station was specially built and all electric lines were put in order.
The Energy Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev, who attended the launch ceremony of the station, invited the investors to build wind power plants too.
Karaganda region governor Yerlan Koshanov noted that 33 large investment projects worth 1 trillion tenge are being implemented in the region. 17 projects are with foreign participation. It is worth noting that some of the investors have already expressed a desire to continue cooperation with Kazakhstan.
The launch of new enterprises, according to investors, will create more than a hundred new jobs in the Karaganda region.