Zanatas is full of vitality (co building the "the Belt and Road" · the first site) wind power | project | Zanatas
Departing by train from Almaty, Kazakhstan, it takes 7 hours to reach the capital of Jangbur Oblast, Taraz, and then driving eastward for about two hours to reach the site of the Zanatas wind power project. On the train, the locals heard that the reporter was going to Zanatas and shook their heads, saying, "That place is too remote!"
From Taraz to Zanatas, there were few vehicles along the way. In the distance, the mountains stretch endlessly, while in the nearby Gobi, the vegetation is sparse. Occasionally, we can see herders herding cattle and sheep.
At the end of the mountain road, towering wind turbines were spinning and stood out in the clear blue sky. Not far away, a white courtyard comes into view - the Zenatas wind power project booster station. During the interview, the reporter deeply felt that the city of Zanatas was revitalizing due to the arrival of Chinese enterprises.
"Chinese partners turn wind into resources"
In Kazakhstan, thermal power generation accounts for over 80% of the total power generation, mainly concentrated in the northern region where coal resources are abundant. Southern cities account for about 70% of the country's electricity consumption, and electricity supply needs to be transmitted over long distances from the north, sometimes even borrowing electricity from neighboring countries. In order to alleviate the power shortage situation in the southern region, Harbin has been promoting the construction of wind power projects and the development of new energy in the wind resource rich southern region since 2011.
In February 2018, the Zanatas wind power project was included in the capacity cooperation list between China and Kazakhstan. In June 2019, the project officially began construction. On September 30, 2020, the first batch of units generated electricity. In June 2021, the project was fully connected to the grid for power generation, becoming the largest wind power project in Central Asia at present.
Walking in Zanatas, large trucks transporting ores occasionally pass by. On both sides of the road, there are huge dark or grayish white stone pits one after another, which are traces left by the mining of phosphate ore since the 1960s.
Zanatas means "new stone" in Kazakh language. It once thrived due to its abundant production of phosphate ore, and during its heyday, its population was nearly 60000. However, the decline of the mineral industry also led people to choose to leave, and small towns gradually lost their vitality. The arrival of the Zanatas wind power project has brought new vitality to the small town. It is reported that the first phase of the Zanatas wind power project has an installed capacity of 100 megawatts, which can meet the daily electricity needs of over 200000 households. In 2022, the project's power generation exceeded the feasibility study's expectations. Almas Chukin, partner of the Kazakh side of the Zanatas wind power project and partner manager of Visor Investment Company, said, "Chinese partners have turned wind into resources, allowing Zanatas, which currently has only about 20000 people, to catch up with the wave of new energy development. Thanks to the wind power project, local residents have new jobs, finance has new taxes, and the city has new vitality."
In the control room on the second floor of the booster station, local veteran employee Elias is discussing business with a young man named Andre who has just worked for a year. Elias studied abroad in China and joined the construction team in the early stages of the wind power project. He works diligently and has solid professional skills. Currently, he has been hired as the project comprehensive management supervisor.
"Here, I have a stable job, learned many new skills, and lived a better and better life." Ilyas told reporters that Kazakhstan has elevated the development of renewable energy as a national strategy and will build a new energy project with a total installed capacity of 10 gigawatts by 2035. "I am very proud to make full use of the wind in Zanatas, provide clean energy for thousands of households, and contribute to the development of the country," Ilyas said.
"Seeing the children's bright smiling faces, we feel that work is very meaningful."
In the southern part of Zanatas, under the towering stone hills, clear spring water gushes out from the crevices of the stones, flowing along the ditch and into an outdoor swimming pool. A dozen or so children came together, calling for friends and throwing down their bicycles by the pool, eagerly jumping into the pool and playing happily. Three or five parents sat in the nearby pavilion or under the shade of a tree with their toddlers, chatting leisurely while watching the children frolic.
The spring on the mountain is called Akbulak Spring, which means "white spring" in Kazakh. The wind power project team utilized mountain spring water to build an outdoor swimming pool for the local people, becoming one of the few leisure and entertainment venues in the area.
Olzas from a nearby village is playing happily in the swimming pool. As soon as he saw the reporter, he immediately exposed his head from the water and smiled on his tanned face. He said that as soon as summer arrived, he would swim and play with his friends here, and everyone was very happy. "Thank you very much to the Chinese uncles who built the swimming pool.".
Over the years, the Zanatas wind power project has allocated special funds in its planning to provide public welfare services in accordance with the needs of the local people. In the citizen activity park of the Odemaker Boulevard in the center of the small town, flowers are blooming and trees are shading, adding a lot of beautiful colors to the small town. "This is a park built at the request of the local government," said Zhao Jiangang, the project manager of China Electric Power International Development Co., Ltd. in Harbin. In the future, they also plan to build a children's playground for the local community. "Whenever we see children's bright smiling faces, we feel that work is very meaningful."
Sultan Kaliyev Marat, the head of Saresu District in Jiangbul Prefecture, stated that the Zanatas wind power project not only brings green electricity, increases fiscal revenue, but also actively fulfills social responsibilities. The government of Saresu District will create a favorable business environment, implement favorable policies for enterprises, and fully serve the development and construction of Zanatas wind power and subsequent projects.
"If the country sends me out, I have to do something different."
At around 6 pm, the heavy rain had just stopped and a rainbow was blooming in the sky. On the bumpy road in the Gobi Desert, project engineer Zhang Liang led a team of reporters to understand the installation work of the second phase of the Zanatas wind power project, which is currently underway. He is familiar with every point and commands vehicles to run on the Gobi Desert.
The steel base with a diameter of about 20 meters resembles a huge woven hat, firmly placed in a pit about 4 meters deep. Dozens of local workers poured the concrete transported by two mixing trucks into the gaps in the steel bars. While inspecting the construction details, Zhang Liang introduced to the reporter, "The soil layer here is only about 50 centimeters, and in some places there is not even soil, all of which are stones. We need to use explosives to blast deep pits, then weave steel reinforcement bases, and pour concrete. It takes about 5 days to install a fan, and we also need to connect the fan and booster station together through buried cables."
Installing fans is not easy, and guarding fans in grazing areas is also not easy. As he was speaking, Zhang Liang noticed that the guardrail under a typhoon had fallen and said, "Cattle and sheep will knock down these guardrails, so we need to strengthen our patrols."
On the way, Zhang Liang received a phone call, and the Kazakhstan Energy Association once again invited him to exchange ideas and introduce China's new energy technology and development direction. Since the initial preparation of the Zanatas project, Zhang Liang has been staying on the construction front line. He is under 40 years old and has a baby face, but his hair has turned gray. Ilyas has been working with Zhang Liang for a long time and knows that he has rich work experience, is strict with himself, and is swift in his actions. Zhang Liang said, "If the country sends me out, we must do something good. We must build this key project of China Kazakhstan cooperation well."
Zhao Jiangang said, "Currently, Kazakhstan is making every effort to promote green development. The Zanatas wind power project and the Akmora state wind power project invested by Chinese enterprises will become the largest wind power project group in Kazakhstan. In the future, they will also expand their energy storage, hydrogen energy, and comprehensive smart energy businesses. The prospects of China Kazakhstan new energy cooperation are promising."
"We are both wind chasers and wind riders. Our sweat drips into ice, just to sprinkle our fearless and hardworking youth on the extremely cold barren desert of Zanatas." This small poem written by the Chinese staff of the Zanatas wind power project expresses the perseverance and unremitting pursuit of Chinese builders overseas.
