In the memory of Illias Mussolov -- a senior staff member of a China-funded wind farm in the small southern Kazakh town of Zhanatas, the town had frequently experienced power outages during peak times in summer. However, things have fundamentally changed since the first turbine of the town's 100-MW wind power project was installed three years ago.
The 100-MW Zhanatas Wind Farm is one of the first batch of key energy projects build within the China-Kazakhstan production capacity cooperation framework.
It was put into operation in June 2021, becoming Central Asia's largest wind farm at that time, greatly alleviating the power shortage in southern Kazakhstan.
Mussolov took a job at the wind farm, and now serves as a deputy director of the maintenance department.
"I understand Chinese and can read the manufacturer's information, whether it's the instruction manual or the operating procedures. I can understand all the Chinese information required for the job," Mussolov said in an interview with China Central Television prior to Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival in the Kazakh capital city of Astana on Tuesday for a state visit to Kazakhstan.
Mussolov said that the wind farm can now generate around 360 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, significantly improving the local electricity supply.
Meanwhile, compared with the same capacity of thermal power generation, the wind farm can save about 110,000 tons of standard coal per year, and greatly reduce greenhouse gas and ash emissions.
Mussolov has witnessed the entire process of the Zhanatas Wind Farm construction, from its inception to its completion. He said that the operation of the wind farm has revived the town and presented a promising future.
"From my point of view, since the establishment of the wind farm, the life in Zhanatas has got better and better. The town has become brighter with sufficient power supply," said Mussolov.
Chinese-funded wind farm injects vitality into Kazakh town
