In the quaint conference hall of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, a cross Asian and European energy cooperation quietly came to an end. On December 5, 2025, representatives from companies in China, Kazakhstan, and France jointly signed a conditional award letter for the Milne wind power project, marking the beginning of a 1GW wind energy storage complex with a total investment of over 1.7 billion US dollars. This is not only a wind farm, but also a key component of Kazakhstan's energy structure transformation, and a vivid footnote to the extension of China's clean energy industry chain in Central Asia.  

Three countries join forces to create a new benchmark for green energy in Central Asia

The Milne wind power project is located in the Janbuhr region of Kazakhstan and is jointly undertaken by an international consortium. The consortium includes China's Shanghai Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Shanghai Electric Group, as well as Kazakhstan's local enterprise GCD Partner LLP. The project operator Aktas Energy is 60% owned by Total Energy of France, and the remaining shares are jointly held by Samruk Energy and KazMunayGas under the Kazakhstan National Sovereign Fund. The most eye-catching part of the project is the construction of a 300MW/600MWh industrial grade energy storage system, which will be Kazakhstan's first large-scale energy storage facility, supplied and commissioned by Saft, a French company under Total Energy. Energy storage systems are mainly used to stabilize wind power fluctuations and enhance grid stability. The project has signed a 25 year power purchase agreement in June 2023 and is included in the investment framework confirmed in March 2024. It is expected to start construction in 2026 and put into operation in 2028. By then, the annual power generation will reach 4 billion kilowatt hours, meeting the electricity needs of over 1 million households and reducing 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Kazakhstan's Energy Transition Accelerator

Kazakhstan has long been highly dependent on fossil fuels, with coal-fired power accounting for over 70% of the country's electricity structure. Regional power shortages and transmission pressures persist. Developing wind power and energy storage is not only a requirement for international emissions reduction, but also a strategic choice for its energy security. Kazakhstan has proposed a carbon neutrality target by 2060, and the Mirny project is an important support on its transformation path. The intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan and France passed in 2024 specifies that the on grid electricity price for the project is 3.99 cents per kilowatt hour, equivalent to 20.13 tenge in Kazakhstan currency, to ensure long-term benefits of the project. The total investment of the project is 827 billion tenge, with a designed annual power generation of 3.6 billion kilowatt hours. Although the production time has been postponed compared to the version planned for 2022, the project scale and investment structure are clearer, and the implementation path is more robust.  

The Central Asian Practice of Chinese Technology and Chinese Solutions

In this cooperation, Chinese enterprises have taken on the core role of engineering general contracting, demonstrating their full chain capability in large-scale wind power projects. Shanghai Electric provides wind turbines and supporting equipment, while Shanghai Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering is responsible for project design and management, highlighting China's system integration and cross-border collaboration strength in the field of clean energy. Through cooperation with Chinese companies, local enterprises in Kazakhstan have also accumulated experience in project construction, operation, and maintenance, promoting the improvement of localization capabilities. This project is not only an infrastructure construction, but also a platform for technological exchange and industrial collaboration. With the advancement of the Milne project, China's influence in the clean energy market in Central Asia will be further strengthened, and the green energy cooperation along the the Belt and Road will also write a page of exemplary significance.Editor/Yang Meiling