Kazakhstan is looking for technology partners.

Japanese companies are being considered as potential participants in projects in oil refining, renewable energy, and the modernization of the country’s energy infrastructure,  DKNews.kz reports .  

This was announced following a meeting between Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov and Japanese Vice Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Kenji Yamada. The talks took place on September 8, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Energy .

Japanese technologies may be used in oil refining

The oil and gas industry was a central focus of the talks. Kazakhstan and Japan discussed the development of oil refining infrastructure, attracting investment, and implementing modern technologies.

For Kazakhstan, this primarily means expanding its range of technological and investment partners. The Ministry of Energy emphasizes that Japanese companies possess significant technological and investment potential.

Kazakhstan, for its part, offers a resource base, geographic location, and conditions for the implementation of large investment projects.

A “green” bloc has emerged in the negotiations

A separate topic was cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources and low-carbon development.

Kazakhstan is interested in engaging Japanese companies in renewable energy projects, as well as in bilateral climate and technology initiatives.

This interest aligns with the country’s current energy sector plans. According to the Ministry of Energy, Kazakhstan has 162 renewable energy facilities with a total capacity of 3.5 GW, and their share of total electricity generation has reached 7%. In 2026, the ministry plans to implement another 10 renewable energy projects with a total capacity of approximately 245.8 MW.

Kazakhstan faces an energy system upgrade

The talks weren’t limited to the oil and gas sector and green energy. Akkenzhenov and Yamada also discussed the development of the electric power industry, infrastructure modernization, and improving the reliability of energy supply.

This issue is directly related to the country’s large-scale repair and investment program. By 2026, Kazakhstan expects to commission over 2.4 GW of new conventional generation. Simultaneously, 17,100 kilometers of power grids and 444 substations are planned for repair.

Thus, cooperation with Japan is being discussed against the backdrop of simultaneous expansion of generation, network upgrades, and the search for new technological solutions for energy.

Specific projects have not yet been named.

Following the meeting, Kazakhstan and Japan confirmed their interest in continuing dialogue and strengthening their energy partnership. However, the official statement did not name specific Japanese companies, the potential investment volume, or the launch dates for joint projects.

This leaves the main question for the next stage of negotiations: whether the discussion of technological and investment cooperation will move on to specific agreements.

We previously reported on another major energy project in Kazakhstan : Masdar is continuing construction of a 1 GW wind farm with an energy storage system in the Zhambyl region. Investment in the project is estimated at approximately $1.4 billion.

Google machine translated