QAZAQ GREEN.  By 2035, Kazakhstan plans to commission at least 8.4 GW of renewable energy capacity. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Energy Sanzhar Zharkeshov at the Third Regional Central Asia and Europe Decarbonization Forum, held in Astana.

According to him, the development of renewable energy, decarbonization, modernization of electricity networks, ensuring energy security, and regional integration are becoming interconnected areas of sustainable development.

Currently, Kazakhstan has 170 operating renewable energy facilities with a total installed capacity of about 3.8 GW. To achieve a 15% share of renewables by 2030 and a 50% share of alternative and low-carbon energy by 2050, annual auctions and the implementation of large-scale projects with strategic investors will continue.

Special attention at the forum was given to the development of electricity networks and energy storage systems. Among the priorities named were also grid balancing and increasing energy system flexibility, regional cooperation, and cross-border electricity trade.

Forum participants named hydrogen energy as one of the promising directions. Kazakhstan is studying the potential for producing low-carbon hydrogen, its application in industry, and possibilities for using it to reduce hard-to-abate emissions.

Further decarbonization also requires the development of a scientific and technological base. This includes technologies for energy storage, energy system management, generation forecasting, electricity network modernization, and hydrogen energy.

The Third Regional Central Asia and Europe Decarbonization Forum was a continuation of an annual series of policy and industry events. It was co-organized by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan and the GIZ Hydrogen Diplomacy Office in Astana (H2 diplo) as part of the “H2-diplo — Decarbonization Diplomacy” project.