Faced with the increasingly severe power shortage crisis, Kazakhstan is heavily investing in coal-fired power with unprecedented efforts. The project was officially approved in March 2026, with plans to build 8 new power plants and modernize 11 existing facilities by 2030, with a total installed capacity of 78.8 gigawatts, and is expected to attract at least $15.5 billion in investment. This measure is not only a first aid for the domestic power shortage, but also a strategic choice to seek a balance between energy security and industrial rise.

6 gigawatts of power black hole waiting to be filled

Data shows that the power supply-demand imbalance in Kazakhstan has reached a critical point. As of early 2024, the country's electricity deficit has exceeded 6 gigawatts, and it is expected that demand will climb to 28.2 gigawatts by 2030. Out of the existing 28 gigawatts of installed capacity, only 20.4 gigawatts are actually available due to severe equipment aging. In 2023, industrial towns such as Almaty and Karaganda experienced frequent large-scale power outages, resulting in a shortage of up to 971 million kilowatt hours in the southern region. Even through importing from Russia and launching renewable energy auctions, it is still difficult to get close in the short term, and the role of coal-fired power as a ballast stone for base load power is irreplaceable.

From extensive combustion to clean intelligence

Unlike traditional expansion, this round of planning is a leap forward in strong tempering. Eleven modernization projects will introduce "clean coal" technology, equipped with advanced flue gas purification and carbon capture devices, with the goal of reducing equipment wear by 13% and improving energy efficiency. For example, key projects such as Unit 7 of Aksu State owned Power Station and the newly built Unit 2 of Ekibastuz Power Station all adopt technologies that comply with the latest environmental standards. At the same time, in order to ensure fuel supply, the coal production in the Karajela mining area is expected to increase by 73% to 14.2 million tons by 2029. Bogateye Coal Enterprise also plans to increase the annual production capacity of the Ekibastuz coal mine to 56.5 million tons, and build an integrated industrial chain of "mining electricity grid".

Electricity conversion power, creating a data center valley

The deep logic of this project lies in exchanging energy for industry. Kazakhstan plans to build a coal-fired data center valley in Pavlodar, relying on cheap electricity, to directly convert electricity resources into digital economic momentum. Keywords: Kazakhstan, power plant construction

In addition, South Korean companies such as Samsung and KEPCO have previously participated in the construction of the Balkhash thermal power plant, demonstrating the long-term optimism of international capital towards the energy market in Kazakhstan. With the deepening of cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in the fields of wind power and photovoltaics (such as the 1 gigawatt wind power project in Jiangbul Oblast), Kazakhstan is attempting to overcome the dilemma of "power shortage in major energy countries" through a combination of "coal power guarantee+green power increment+digital empowerment", and provide core driving force for the Central Asian Industrial Corridor.Editor/Cheng Liting