Industry news

ASTANA, Kazakhstan – 29 May, 2025 – Today, within the framework of the International Forum, the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Akkenzhenov, held a key meeting with the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, His Excellency Suheil Al Mazroui, Masdar Zayed Abdullah, Director of Development and Investment in Asia and Africa, and Mohammed Saeed Mohammed Al Ariki, the UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan. The event was also attended by Magzum Mirzagaliyev, the Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan.

The talks were devoted to deepening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, with a special focus on the implementation of large-scale projects in the field of renewable energy sources (RES).

The centrepiece of the discussion was a strategic project to build a 1 GW wind power plant (WPP) in Zhambyl region, implemented jointly with Masdar. Yerlan Akkenzhenov emphasised the importance of this project for Kazakhstan to achieve its ambitious goals of transition to a “green economy”, which envisages increasing the share of renewable energy sources in total electricity generation to 15% by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

“We highly value the partnership with Masdar, which is a strategic ally for us in the development of renewable energy,” said Yerlan Akkenzhenov. "The Ministry of Energy is providing full support to the 1 GW WPP project. The ratification of the intergovernmental agreement on 12 May this year, which took place thanks to our coordinated work, is a clear indication of our commitment to its successful implementation."

The parties discussed the ongoing progress of the project, including ongoing wind measurement works, environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), and confirmed plans to complete financial close in the first quarter of 2026, with phased commissioning of capacity starting with 500MW in the first quarter of 2028, and full commissioning of 1GW by 2029. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.4bn.

Apart from the Masdar project, the ministers touched upon a wide range of energy co-operation issues, including the potential for collaboration in the oil and gas, petrochemical and nuclear energy sectors.

The outcome of the meeting confirmed the mutual commitment of Kazakhstan and the UAE to further enhance mutually beneficial co-operation and actively attract investments from the Emirati side in the energy sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh side reiterated the existence of a favourable investment climate supported by legislative measures, including the Improved Model Contract for Subsoil Users.

The programme of the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan at the Astana 2025 International Forum is rich and includes a number of other important meetings with heads of international energy companies and organisations aimed at promoting Kazakhstan's energy interests on the world stage.