A major outdoor lighting modernisation project has launched in Almaty. Journalists were shown how MCP "Almaty Kala Zharyk" plans to solve the problem of dark streets in the city. Municipal workers assured that lighting would be installed in all districts of Almaty this year.
According to ORDA, from 2019 to 2023, Almaty's outdoor lighting was managed by a private consortium under a public-private partnership (PPP). The partner failed to meet its obligations, and the contract was terminated through the courts in 2023. The private entity's appeal was rejected in January 2024, and the contract was finally declared invalid.
By order of the city's mayor, Yerbolat Dossayev, responsibility for maintaining the lighting infrastructure was transferred to MCP "Almaty Kala Zharyk", and the lighting networks were transferred to the balance of district mayor's offices.
As reported by the head of the enterprise, Igor Mysik, more than 12,000 new light points have been installed this year, with a focus on pedestrian streets and roads.
The first phase of modernisation affected well-lit streets — Abaya, Al-Farabi, and Bukhar Zhyrau. Outdated lamps there are being replaced with modern multi-level structures with an increased outreach of up to 4 metres. It is expected that this will avoid tree pruning and improve lighting on the roadway and pavements.
In turn, the chief engineer of the MCP, Alimukhamed Zhalpakov, reported that old lamps often broke down. The new structures are taller, without decorative shades, and, as municipal workers hope, less attractive to vandals.
It has become known that 40 round-the-clock teams — of three people each — are responsible for servicing the city's streetlights. In the event of a fault, the problem is resolved within five days. Breakdowns are most often related to weather conditions. The number of teams is increased during peak loads.
It is noted that complaints about dark streets can be submitted via the social media channels of "Almaty Kala Zharyk".
According to the MCP, the following will appear in Almaty in 2025:
- approximately 5,700 new bollard posts in pedestrian zones, parks, and along pavements;
- over 1,000 bollard posts and 3,000 light points on seven key streets: Al-Farabi, Abaya, Tole bi, Seifullina, Auezova, Nauryzbay batyr, and Nazarbayeva;
- 1,200 new outdoor lighting lines (10 times more than in 2024).
It has become known that in May of this year, 108.6 million tenge (55,000 tenge each) was spent on 2,000 LED lights for garden and park lighting. The supplier is Galaxia Electric LLP.
"Services for the technical maintenance of electrical and power distribution equipment in the city of Almaty were recently paid for in the amount of 542.8 million tenge. Maintenance of one line costs an average of 32,000 tenge. The work will be undertaken by KIT STROY GROUP LLP," the statement said.
According to Igor Mysik, in April, 623 million tenge (152,700 tenge each) was spent on 4,000 lights with a power of at least 200 Watts.
"They will be supplied by the LED lighting plant LED SYSTEM PRODUCTION LLP. Another six thousand lights were purchased for 87,000 tenge each, totalling 523 million, from LED Solutions LLP," the head of the enterprise reported.
He noted that old lamps and poles will be used on secondary streets where there was previously no lighting.
Recall that in the spring of 2023, the mayor of Almaty, Yerbolat Dossayev, at a meeting with residents of the Almalinsky district, reported that he intended to split the provision of street lighting services among the districts and attract new companies.
Gabiden Yusupov, a distinguished energy engineer of the CIS, criticised this statement. According to him, such a division by district is impossible, as transformer substations for powering street lighting are located only in specific areas of the city. Yusupov argued that this would require reworking all the electrical networks in Almaty, which would cost additional billions from the budget.
Last September, Yerbolat Dossayev promised that by the end of 2025, street lighting levels in the city would reach 100%.