Kazakhstan’s government picked Harbin Electric International, a Chinese company, to supply equipment for the construction of a power station near Ekibastuz, a city around 100 km north-east of Astana.Deputy minister of energy Sungat Yessimkhanov said that the choice would reduce costs by 250 billion tenge ($507 million), media reported on March 12. “Harbin, one of the three leading manufacturers in China, will supply a turbine with a capacity of 540-550 MW,” he said, adding that the total cost of the project under the investment agreement is now 400 billion tenge ($811 million), down from the original cost of 650 billion.The Ekibastuz power station had been earmarked within the framework of a 2023 agreement with Russian state-owned companies to build new coal power stations.Delays in the start of construction led the government to look for alternative suppliers.Sign up for our English-language newsletter.