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Kazakhstan Drops Russian Turbines for Ekibastuz Power Project, Turns to China
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Kazakhstan has dropped plans to use Russian turbines at the Ekibastuz GRES-2 power station and has chosen Chinese equipment instead, according to RBC-Ukraine on March 12.
The notice stated that Kazakhstan had revised the construction plan for the plant’s third power unit and decided against Russian turbines and generators.
Chinese company Harbin Electric International became the new equipment supplier.
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The switch is expected to cut the project’s cost by more than $500 million. The earlier plan involved Russian companies and relied on a preferential Russian loan, but the financing never arrived.
RBC-Ukraine, citing Orda, reported that the move is another sign of Astana’s efforts to reduce reliance on Moscow in strategic sectors, including energy and defense.
The turbine decision comes as Kazakhstan also advances new defense manufacturing projects aimed at reducing dependence on Russian equipment.
For now, Kazakhstan is moving ahead with a $1 billion plan to build NATO-standard artillery ammunition factories to reduce reliance on Russian models, a shift that Moscow has criticized as “unfriendly.”
A senior Kazakh military official noted that the lack of domestic production left the army dependent on Soviet-era stockpiles and supplies from Russia and other ex-Soviet states, making an independent base “extremely important.”
Under the ASPAN project, four plants are planned to produce both legacy munitions and NATO-standard ammunition, with the first facility expected to begin operations in 2027, followed by additional plants.
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