Is Kazakhstan a good place to invest in solar power?

Kazakhstan has remarkable solar potential with a very well-designed auction system, a clear renewable capacity addition schedule, and a solid decarbonisation target. The country is now also including storage systems as part of its public procurement strategy in a move that will ease further integration of renewables into the grid.

How much solar power does Kazakhstan have?

In just five short years, solar power capacity has catapulted to 300 megawatts nationwide, and if you add other renewables like wind and hydropower, that number exceeds 700 megawatts, enough power to supply around 200,000 families in Kazakhstan. To understand just how remarkable this is, you have to know the context.

Can solar power drive Kazakhstan's Energy Transition?

However, Kazakhstan’s solar ambitions do not fully tap into its potential, and the technology could play a far larger role in the country’s energy transition due to its low cost and flexibility. The focus now is on leveraging solar’s comparative advantages to drive forward Kazakhstan’s decarbonisation and harness its significant solar resources.

What's new in Kazakhstan?

This update contains the latest economic and political advancements in the country, including the announcement of Kazakhstan’s new decarbonisation target for 2060, and the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the EU and Kazakhstan, stepping up cooperation on renewables, green hydrogen, and battery value chains.

Does Kazakhstan rely on fossil fuels?

Almost every chemical on the periodic table. That’s Nurlan Kapenov, head of the national solar association. Since the country’s independence in 1991, he says Kazakhstan has relied heavily on its store of fossil fuels—including the largest coal reserves in Central Asia—to power an expanding economy.

Where is Kazakhstan's new energy plant located?

It’s located in Zhambyl, near Kazakhstan’s border with Kyrgyzstan, an area known to be energy-poor but sunshine-rich. Difficult but necessary regulatory reforms were critical to getting the plant online. Using resources from the Climate Investment Funds and its partners, Kazakhstan introduced what’s called a feed-in tariff on clean energy.