Prospects for the development of “green” energy in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, has a favourable climate for the growth of renewable energy. The country adopted a law to support renewable energy projects back in 2009 and established the first wind farm in the same year. By 2013, the country was committed to transitioning to a “green” economy. Despite being rich in coal, Kazakhstan is moving away from coal-generated energy and aims to be carbon neutral by 2060. The plan is to reduce coal’s share of the energy sector from 70% to 40% by 2030 and to increase the share of renewable energy from 3% to 15%. In the long term, Kazakhstan plans to generate 50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. The country is rich in solar and wind energy potential and also sees promise in hydrogen production. In 2022, renewable energy made up 20% of the country’s energy generation, and 15 renewable energy facilities are expected to be commissioned this year. The UAE’s Masdar is also set to construct a large wind farm in Kazakhstan starting in 2025.