Kazakhstan exports fossil fuel products at global levels, but at present it is diverting attention to securing energy harnessed sustainably from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels. Despite the presence of coal, crude oil, and natural gas, which have been the major pillars of the economy, Kazakhstan has been looking at growth in green energy industries to export clean electricity and green hydrogen to Europe.
The projects started during the “Energy Transition – Powering Tomorrow” exhibition organized by Nazarbayev University in Astana, where experts discussed green hydrogen. Green hydrogen refers to a renewable energy source produced from renewable energies such as solar and wind. This event, sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office, signified a growing interest from Europe, especially Germany, in the green hydrogen potential of Kazakhstan.
Among the most ambitious green hydrogen projects in Kazakhstan, Hyrasia One, a subsidiary of the German-Swedish energy giant Svevind, has the initiative. The initiative, expected to cost about €50 billion, will kick-start production in 2030 and create a mega green hydrogen hub in the Mangystau Region of Kazakhstan. The entire project is expected to reach full capacity by 2032, which promises to become a core part of the renewable energy strategy of Kazakhstan.
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Kazakhstan has always been a leader when it comes to clean energy policies in Central Asia. Indeed, the International Energy Agency has praised the country’s efforts to entice foreign investment into renewable energy systems. China has, in particular, played a very important role in the development of solar and wind energy capacities in Kazakhstan.
On 13 November, Kazakhstan Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev signed agreements valued at almost $3.7 billion at COP29 in Baku, all aimed at furthering the development of green energy projects in the national frontier. This has recently been signed by Kazakhstan, alongside Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, towards a newly formed strategic partnership for a green energy corridor. The corridor includes an undersea cable below the Caspian Sea for exporting clean energy to Europe.
Kazakhstan is also endowed with natural resources that will facilitate such a change, including strong wind potential in the north and abundant solar energy in the south. If well harnessed, those resources will not only make Kazakhstan a reliable supplier of green energy to Europe but they would also help the country achieve its long-term environmental goals.