Zhezkazgan power station — Kazakhstan
Coal power plant in Qaraghandy, Kazakhstan. Approximate location 47.7853, 67.7444.
CoalQaraghandyKazakhstanSiemens Energy: not foundsubcritical
Zhezkazgan power station is a 252 MW coal power station in Qaraghandy, Kazakhstan. It is operated by Kazakhmys plc. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 315k homes (estimated). It ranks #48 of 80 Kazakhstan power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1975, it is around 51 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 54.3% of Kazakhstan's electricity; the national grid averages 805 gCO₂/kWh (14.9% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023217.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000102983; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 252 MW, Zhezkazgan power station is below the median coal plant in Kazakhstan (435 MW). Technically it is described as Siemens Energy: not found; subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Kazakhstan coal capacity
- 1.2% of 20,941 MW across 32 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 10 of 27 dated coal plants in Kazakhstan are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in Kazakhstan
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Kazakhmys plc.
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 47.8°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 104% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 94/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #24 largest coal power plant of 32 in Kazakhstan by capacity.
Kazakhstan has 32 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 20,941 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Zhezkazgan-2 power station · Coal · 500 MW · Karaganda
Location
Coordinates 47.7853, 67.7444 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Zhezkazgan power station?
Zhezkazgan power station is a 252 MW coal power plant in Qaraghandy, Kazakhstan, commissioned in 1975.
Who operates Zhezkazgan power station?
Zhezkazgan power station is operated by Kazakhmys plc.