Kazakhstan’s mining operators plan to increase coal production by 11% in 2026, targeting output of 128.9 million tonnes against the 115.9 million tonnes extracted in 2025 — itself a 7% increase on the prior year — according to Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov, speaking at a government session.
The accelerating production trajectory is backed by a significant uplift in sector investment. Approximately 553.5 billion tenge is earmarked for the coal industry in 2026, nearly doubling the 305 billion tenge invested in 2025 according to data drawn from mining contract work programmes. Before the end of the year, the Ministry of Energy also plans to hold an auction offering subsoil use rights across approximately ten coal deposits, signalling continued confidence in the sector’s expansion.
Kazakhstan holds the world’s tenth-largest coal reserves, with 33.6 billion tonnes of the fossil fuel contained within its subsoil — sufficient to sustain extraction at current rates for more than 300 years. The country’s coal base underpins both its domestic energy system and a growing export trade.
Of the 115.9 million tonnes produced in 2025, 85.9 million tonnes were directed to domestic consumption, serving the municipal heating sector, power generation and industrial users. A further 30 million tonnes were exported, with Russia, Poland, Uzbekistan, Turkey, India and Malaysia among the principal destination markets.
