Plans for pilot 5 MW wind plant with help from United Nations

The Kazakhstan government is working with the United Nations Development Program to develop the country's wind sector, starting with plans to install a 5 MW pilot wind power plant at the Jungar Gates near the border with China, where UNDP has completed a two year study of the area's wind energy resource. The Global Environmental Facility, an independent financial organisation under the World Bank that helps developing countries find money for projects that protect the global environment, is providing more than $2 million for the project, with private companies expected to contribute another $4 million. Along with assistance in power plant construction, UNDP will help the government with a wind development program and prepare wind resource maps for various regions of the country. Kazakhstan's wind energy potential is estimated at 1.82 trillion kWh, says UNDP, but right now 98% of its energy consumption is derived from coal, oil and gas. By 2030, it says, wind energy is expected to supply 500 MW, or about 12% of Kazakhstan's energy needs.