Almaty plans to ban coal sales from January 1, 2027 as part of its low-emission zone (LEZ), and rail deliveries of the fuel to city depots will also stop, the website infohub.kz reports.
The progress of an order to relocate coal depots from Almaty to the Almaty Region was reviewed at a meeting of the interdepartmental commission on environmental issues. Rail deliveries of coal are due to end by the end of 2026. However, the meeting noted that unloading and sales of fuel are continuing at some facilities.
"According to the data presented, the coal depots hold about 24,000 tonnes of coal. Of this, 22,800 tonnes, or 95%, consists of fine fractions intended for brick factories. Termination of lease agreements for the operating sites is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2026. This work is being carried out as part of a set of measures to reduce air pollution. In parallel, the city is continuing to convert small and medium-sized businesses from solid fuel to gas," the akimat said.
In addition, according to Eco Almaty LLP, of the 2,395 facilities covered by the gasification programme, 1,879 have already switched to gas. Another 516 continue to use solid fuel. Work to convert them to gas is set to continue in line with the requirements of the Rules for the Protection of Atmospheric Air and the phased introduction of the low-emission zone (LEZ).
The akimat added that connections of private homes to gas supply are also continuing. The gasification rate in Almaty's private sector stands at 99.6%, reflecting the availability of the technical capacity to connect to natural gas.