BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 19. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in waste management with Dai Daoguo, Chairman of Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., the Kazakh Prime Minister's press service reported.
The meeting focused on the implementation of a project to construct a waste-to-energy plant in Almaty.
Under an investment agreement previously signed between Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., work on the 145 billion tenge (about $314 million) investment project began in May 2026.
Dai Daoguo said the facility is being prepared for the start of construction and installation works. The plant will have the capacity to process up to 2,000 tons of waste per day and generate up to 60 MW of electricity.
The project is also expected to reduce CO2 emissions by around 200,000 tons per year and save approximately 800,000 cubic meters of landfill capacity annually. At least 700 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, with 120 permanent positions to be available once the plant becomes operational.
Bektenov noted that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attaches particular importance to environmental responsibility and the development of an environmental culture. He also emphasized that environmental protection is enshrined in Kazakhstan's new Constitution as one of the fundamental principles of state policy and civic responsibility.
The meeting also addressed prospects for expanding cooperation in waste management through the implementation of similar projects in other regions of Kazakhstan.
Following the meeting, Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and other relevant government agencies to urgently study all aspects of further cooperation with the company and prepare agreements within a month for the construction of waste-to-energy plants in several major cities.
The Kazakh government is currently considering the construction of waste-to-energy plants in Karaganda, Atyrau, Aktobe, Pavlodar and other cities.
