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They form part of a four-year public-private energy efficiency retrofitting project.

The kindergartens are in the city of Aktau and provide 1,500 students and staff with improved heating, water supply and lighting.

Ato Brown, World Bank country manager for Kazakhstan, said: “Kazakhstan ranks among the top 10 most energy-intensive economies in the world [which] results in significant costs for the country in terms of economic competitiveness, public health, and the environment.

“We aim to showcase how cost-effective retrofits can help municipalities benefit from better air quality associated with reduced carbon emissions, as well as significant budget savings on energy bills.”

Over the last two years, 44 kindergartens, schools and hospitals have been selected for energy efficiency retrofit measures under the Kazakhstan Energy Efficiency Project, which is supported by a pilot scheme of public-private partnerships to attract strategic investors to the energy efficiency sector.

The project is backed by a $21.76m grant from the Swiss government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation channelled through a trust fund administered by the World Bank.

Co-financing from participating institutions, utilities, and municipalities totals $1.3m.