Masdar has signed a roadmap for developing an up to 1GW wind power plant in Kazakhstan to support the country’s goal of achieving half its energy mix from renewables by 2050.
The central Asian country is a key strategic market for Masdar, the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, which has been steadily investing in the region in recent years. The roadmap for developing the up to 1 GW wind project, with a battery energy storage system (BESS), was signed by four partners on the sidelines of the Astana International Forum.
UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei witnessed the signing. The signatories were: Masdar, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund (KIDF) Management Company, and Samruk-Kazyna, a joint stock company sovereign wealth fund.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar chairman Sultan Al Jaber said, “The UAE and Masdar are proud to be supporting Kazakhstan’s renewable energy goals. This wind project, which will generate up to 1GW of clean electricity to power homes and cut emissions, shows sustainable development in action.
“To meet the Paris Agreement goals to keep 1.5 degrees within reach, humanity needs to take many bold steps, including tripling worldwide renewable energy capacity by the end of this decade. As proud hosts of COP28, the UAE is deeply committed to investing in and partnering with countries to boost clean energy around the world.”
Kazakhstan aims to become carbon neutral by 2060 and is targeting renewable electricity generation of 50% by 2050. The up to 1GW wind farm, with BESS, is Masdar’s first project in the country. In addition to the roadmap, Samruk-Kazyna and Masdar signed a collaboration agreement for the project. The signing builds on an earlier agreement secured between Masdar and its Kazakh partners during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January 2023.
Masdar chief executive officer Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: “Masdar is very excited about its first project in Kazakhstan. We aim to deliver a world-class wind plant and battery energy storage system that will support the country’s energy transition and advance its net zero ambitions. We welcome the signing of the project roadmap which further strengthens our relationship with Kazakhstan and demonstrates our commitment to helping the Kazakh government achieve its clean energy objectives.”
Chief executive officer of the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund (KIDF) Marat Tulebaev said: “KIDF is a government risk mitigation mechanism designed to provide comfort to foreign investors and global players like Masdar by co-investing in projects.
“We are pleased to note the progress of the project for the construction of up to 1GW wind farm with the first phase to be developed in the Jambyl region. This is a significant step forward in developing the joint implementation of Masdar’s first wind project in our country.
We look forward to strengthening our partnership in the future and believe that this project meets our country’s growing demand for electricity by helping to shift the energy supply model towards renewable energy sources.”
Samruk-Kazyna chief executive officer Nurlan Zhakupov added: “I am glad that the fund has now become a part of the project. Today, we consolidated this by signing a collaboration agreement between the fund and Masdar, which will be the starting point for further cooperation. We also signed the Calendar Action Plan (Roadmap) between the fund, the Ministry of Energy, KIDF and Masdar, indicating the main activities, responsible parties and deadlines.”