Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov visited the East Kazakhstan Region to review the progress of the reconstruction of the Ridder Thermal Power Plant and the construction of a multi-disciplinary hospital.
According to the government press service, during an inspection of the boiler house at the Ridder Thermal Power Plant, the Prime Minister was briefed on the modernisation of the automated process control system (APCS) for medium-pressure boiler units and the restoration of the plant following an accident involving boilers No. 4 and 5.
It has been reported that the Thermal Power Plant, which was commissioned in 1956, provides heat to approximately 50,000 residents. The current equipment wear and tear rate stands at 57.7%. Consequently, Ridder TPP is included in the list of 19 heat sources that have fallen into the “red zone”.
It is also reported that 8.5 billion tenge was allocated for the reconstruction of the energy infrastructure of the East Kazakhstan Region in 2024: approximately 7.4 billion from the government reserve and 1.1 billion from the regional budget.
“Funds amounting to 5.5 billion tenge have been allocated for the repair of boiler units, more than 280 million for the reconstruction of the outdoor switchgear (OSG), and a further 2.7 billion for the modernisation of 19 km of heating networks”, the report states.
In total, by the start of the heating season, it is planned to commission 2 boiler units at the Ridder Thermal Power Plant, with the remaining units promised to be brought into operation as the cold weather sets in, in accordance with the temperature schedule. Upon completion of the work, it is expected that the wear and tear on the heat source will be reduced to 40%.
“Regarding the repair of heat networks, the head of the government was informed that work is proceeding according to the schedule, with completion expected by the end of August this year. At 55 sites with a total length of 19 km, 127 personnel and 20 units of equipment are involved. Today, the wear and tear of the region’s energy infrastructure reaches 78.5%. By this indicator, Ridder is also in the ‘red zone’. Upon completion of the repair work, a reduction of 24.1% is expected”, the report states.
It has been reported that the current readiness of utility networks stands at 58.4%, centralised boiler houses at 51%, hydroelectric power plants at 69% and 52% – for Thermal Power Plants.
“The pace of work needs to be increased. We cannot allow a lack of heat supply or insufficient heat delivery to homes when the cold weather arrives. It is important to stay ahead of the schedules while observing all necessary conditions to ensure quality. I draw attention to the fact that the heating season will be the indicator of the quality of the modernisation carried out and the effectiveness of the work”, Olzhas Bektenov emphasised.
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Energy, together with the regional governor's office, to keep this matter under special control.
During the working trip, Bektenov also checked the pace of construction of the Ridder multi-disciplinary medical facility. The total area of the complex is 40,000 m2, with the facility's readiness at 60%.
“A hospital complex with a polyclinic for 500 visits per shift and an inpatient unit with 200 beds is being built in the city to replace the existing hospital, which has been operating for over 80 years and whose buildings are located in different parts of Ridder. This healthcare organisation is the only one in the city”, the report states.
The polyclinic is planned to be commissioned in the autumn of this year, and the inpatient unit next year. It is expected that the medical complex will be equipped with expert-class equipment, and it will employ over 500 staff members.
“We will resolve the financing issues. The governor's office must ensure the quality and targeted use of funds. The work needs to be completed in a short time frame to prevent the project from becoming a ‘long-term construction project’. It is necessary to equip the hospital with all the equipment so that residents can receive all medical services here. We must strive to reduce the expenditure of Kazakhstani citizens on paid medicine and meet the needs of the population within the framework of the compulsory social health insurance system and the guaranteed volume of free medical care”, Olzhas Bektenov noted.