First Vice Minister for Investments and Development Roman Sklyar informed that a sufficient amount of coal for the population was prepared for the heating season, it is necessary only to ensure the work on the uninterrupted supply of coal to consumers.

"We have 15 million tons of domestic coal needed for our customers to successfully pass the upcoming heating season, of which 4,500 tons of coal is enough to provide the population, as well as for generating sources and utilities. Our task is now, together with KTZh and local executive bodies, to organize work on the uninterrupted supply of coal to consumers in order to avoid unnecessary agiotage," Sklyar said.

Along with this, the he recalled that, according to the Code On Subsoil and Subsoil Use, the Ministry for Investments and Development was designated as the authorized body on solid minerals. The Code entered into force June 29, 2018.

"In view of the transition period related to the transfer of coal sector issues, a joint order of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment and Development" On the establishment of the Headquarters for Monitoring the Preparation, Passage of the Heating Period 2018/19 and Provision of Coal to Power Plants, the Utility Sector and the Population was adopted," Sklyar said.

The Staff consists of representatives of state bodies, national companies and heads of coal mining companies.

The order fixes the issues for the Ministry of Energy, which needs to monitor on a daily basis the preparation and passage of the autumn-winter period 2018/19, as well as the accumulation of regulatory fuel reserves at the country's power plants.

The ministry, in turn, on a weekly basis should monitor the extraction and shipment of coal from coal mining organizations, monitor the shipment of coal to the public utility sector and the population. Together with KTZh monitor the transportation of coal to power stations, utilities and the public with the adoption of measures to provide wagons for loading coal in accordance with the submitted applications.

Local executive bodies on a weekly basis need to submit information on the accumulation of coal for municipal and regional needs, by region, the coal prices to be sold for the final consumer, and the planned supply of coal for the next 15 days.

"We will now monitor and control weekly shipment from coal mining companies and supply to the public sector and the population. For this purpose, a schedule has been drawn up that indicates the requirements, the actual supply of coal, the cost of coal, indicating suppliers in the context of the regions. According to local executive bodies, there is a sufficient amount of coal at the unloading stations and in the bases, and therefore the population is strongly advised to stockpile the necessary amount of coal in advance, without waiting for the first cold," Sklyar concluded.

Chairman of the Committee for Atomic and Energy Supervision and Control of the Ministry of Energy Sungat Yessimkhanov, in his turn, said that all the preparatory and repair work is being done in the regular mode. Large power plants have a sufficient amount of coal reserves.

"If we talk in general for the preparation for the heating season, then we carry out this work on an ongoing basis on the instructions of the Government. Consumption of coal stations is a daily process. Large stations, such as Ekibastuz HPP, consume more than a million tons of coal per month, so this process takes place on an ongoing basis. Today, 2.6 million tons of coal are stored in the warehouses of all stations that use coal. All large power plants have reserves," said Yessimkhanov.

The representative of the Ministry of Energy also noted that the reserves of smaller stations depend on funds allocated by the akimats. Each year, coal supply issues are resolved positively.

"All contracts with KTZh are concluded, therefore at these stations by the beginning of the heating season coal will be ready. If we take private stations, we have a Ridder CHP lower than the normative reserve, now there is a question of transporting another ten days of storage, this is about 6,000 tons of coal. As for the coal preparation of power plants, they are undergoing relevant repair work. We have planned more than 8eight large blocks, more than 50 boilers and 45 turbines, more than half have been prepared," the chairman explained.

As acting General Director of KTZh-Cargo Transportation JSC Kairat Saurbayev informed, for May-July and 12 days of August in the heating season 2018/19, 17.7 million tons of coal were shipped, which is 5% or 3.2% more compared to the previous period, including domestic coal — 35% (or 630,900 tons) more than the same period of the previous heating season.

"According to the 2018 results, we forecast coal transportation in the amount of 106.5 million tons, including 71.9 million tons for the consumers of Kazakhstan, the forecasted volume is 3.5% higher than the volume of traffic in 2017," Saurbayev said.