On the vast grasslands of South Kazakhstan, giant wind turbine blades are cutting through the sky, while in the desert areas of the north, patches of photovoltaic panels glow blue in the sunlight. A quiet energy revolution is unfolding on this land, with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency and surplus in electricity in five years.

Green electric lifting beam

The Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan recently outlined a clear roadmap for capacity expansion at a government meeting. At present, the country has 254 power generation facilities with a total installed capacity of 27.1GW, including 172 renewable energy power stations. But this is just the starting point, by the end of 2029, the country will add 13.3GW of power generation capacity. In this construction boom, green energy has become the absolute mainstay. According to the plan, 5.9GW of the newly installed capacity comes from renewable energy, which is almost twice the current installed capacity of renewable energy. The remaining increment comes from the construction of new thermal power plants and the replacement of old units, ensuring the diversification and stability of energy supply.

Targeting the economy of computing power

The driving force behind this transformation is not only the pressure of energy transition, but also the urgent need for economic and social development. Data shows that by 2025, the total electricity consumption in Kazakhstan has reached 124.6 billion kilowatt hours, with a significant gap between supply and demand. Although it is expected that the power generation will increase to 126.5 billion kilowatt hours this year, and the gap will gradually narrow, in the face of the future, especially the entry of high energy consuming industries such as artificial intelligence and large data centers, power security must be prepared in advance. The Ha government has clearly stated its goal to achieve a balance between domestic electricity supply and demand by early 2027, and to form a stable electricity surplus by 2029, in order to reserve sufficient "food and forage" for the arrival of the digital economy era.

Supply guarantee and networking

While vigorously developing new energy, Kazakhstan has not ignored the bottom line of energy security. On the one hand, the country actively promotes the application of clean coal-fired technology that meets environmental standards. Through the construction of 19 national energy projects, including 8 new projects and the renovation and expansion of 11 active power stations, the traditional energy foundation has been strengthened. On the other hand, the pace of power grid interconnection is accelerating. Given the current situation of still relying on Russian power supply, Kazakhstan signed an agreement with Tajikistan in May 2025 to import electricity from the under construction Rogun hydropower station. With the implementation of this series of combination punches, Kazakhstan will not only reverse the situation of power shortage, but also significantly enhance its voice in energy security in the Central Asian region.Editor/Yang Meiling