Serik Akhmetov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, formally ‘launched’ the construction of a diesel engine factory in Astana earlier this month. The plant is being developed by a joint venture of national railway KTZ, GE Transportation and Transmash Diesel.

The plant will assemble 300 GE Transportation GEVO engines a year, in eight-, 12-and 16-cylinder models rated from 2,200 to 4,500kW. Production is expected to start in December 2014, with the domestic content gradually increasing from 8% to 51% by 2020.

Intended for customers in the former USSR and Mongolia, the engines are to be used in locally assembled Evolution locomotives, for maritime applications and for the powering of 2TE116 locomotives. Unveiling a plaque to mark the start of work, Mr Akhmetov said he appreciated the rail sector’s contribution to the government’s policy of rapid industrial development. KTZ president Askar Mamin said railway engineering is a “virtually new industry” in Kazakhstan, increasing in value from 10 billion tenge in 2008 to more than 200 billion in 2013 — and expected to increase to 300 billion tenge in 2015 (just under $2 billion).