(Yicai Global) June 21 -- The largest wind power project in Central Asia, built by Chinese state-owned energy giant State Power Investment, has reached its full capacity in Kazakhstan.

The 40th wind turbine at the Zanatas wind farm was connected to the grid yesterday, the Paper reported today. The total capacity is 100 megawatts.

The wind park should improve the imbalance of supply and demand in the Central Asian country as most of Kazakhstan's coal resources are up north while cities down south need a lot of energy. Thermal power, which requires fuels such as coal or natural gas, accounts for more than 80 percent of Kazakhstan's electricity output.

The total investment of the project is USD160 million, the Chinese commerce ministry said on its website earlier. SPIC penned an agreement with Visor Holding, a local private equity firm, in 2018 to start building the project in 2019. The first units were ready last September.

The base can generate 350 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, meeting the needs of more than 100 million households in southern Kazakhstan, said Guo Qiang, general manager of the project.

As a greener option, the plant can save 109,500 tons of burned coal, or cut carbon dioxide emissions by 289,000 tons per year, Guo added.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi