KEGOC has clarified the cause of the massive power outage in Kazakhstan on August 14. The failure occurred after two hydro generators were disconnected at the Toktogul HPP in Kyrgyzstan, the company reported. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The accident occurred at 14:37 and led to an overload of the North-East-South transit of the Unified Energy System of Kazakhstan. As a result, the Southern zone separated from the Unified Energy System of Kazakhstan and the energy systems of Central Asia.
The outages affected Almaty, Zhambyl, Turkestan, Kyzylorda, Zhetysu, Karaganda, Ulytau and Abai regions.
Electricity supply was fully restored: in Karaganda, Ulytau and Abai regions by 14:47, in Almaty and Zhetysu regions by 16:26, in Zhambyl, Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions by 16:34. A special commission is investigating the causes of the technological disruption.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the Ministry of Energy linked the massive power outage on August 14 to an emergency imbalance caused by a sharp change in power flow from Central Asian energy systems. Then emergency automation disconnected some consumers in southern regions of Kazakhstan, including Almaty and Almaty region.
Technical details of the accident
According to KEGOC, the separation of the Southern zone affected the stability of the power system. However, the company provided exact restoration times, which allowed for a quick return of electricity to consumers in the affected regions.
Commission investigation
A special commission is currently investigating the causes of the technological disruption. The commission will examine all factors, including the reasons for the shutdown of the hydro generators and the response of the power system.
Previous statements
Earlier, the Ministry of Energy linked the accident to an emergency imbalance caused by a sharp change in power flow from Central Asian energy systems. Emergency automation disconnected some consumers in southern regions, including Almaty and Almaty region.
Restoration work
The restoration of electricity supply was carried out promptly. In all regions, electricity was restored in the shortest possible time, demonstrating the coordinated work of energy workers.
Conclusion
New data from KEGOC has made it possible to clarify the cause of the accident. Now the commission will conduct a full investigation and propose measures to prevent such incidents. This event has revealed vulnerabilities in the power system and the need for further improvement.