Kazakhstan gears up for electricity shortages

ASTANA, April 22 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan plans to build new power plants and import more gas from neighbouring Uzbekistan to cope with an electricity deficit it is likely to face later this year, Energy Minister Sauat Mynbayev said on Tuesday.

The economy has grown by 10 percent a year on average since 2000, fuelled by booming oil and metals exports. A record-cold winter in early 2008 made the government cut supplies to some industrial consumers due to high electricity consumption.

"The balance of output and consumption of electricity during the winter and spring period shows the country has no reserve capacities," Mynbayev told a government meeting.

As a temporary solution, the government has agreed with Uzbek state energy company Uzbekneft and Russian gas monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM) to carry out natural gas swaps.

Under the deal, Uzbekistan will supply 5 billion cubic metres of gas to southern Kazakhstan this year.

To counter further shortages, which could reach 200 megawatt this year, the government plans to build a number of new power plants which will start producing electricity in 2011.

Mynbayev said the government would also consider raising electricity tariffs, currently heavily regulated by the state. (Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov)