Kazakhstan is teaming up with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to boost green energy exports, aiming to tap into Europe’s energy market with clean power. They plan to lay a high-voltage cable under the Caspian Sea to export electricity, despite Kazakhstan’s own struggle to meet growing energy demands. The country is pushing hard to increase its renewable energy share but faces potential power shortages. With ambitious targets for wind and solar energy, Kazakhstan is also considering building a nuclear plant to fill the gap. The future of this plan hinges on balancing export ambitions with domestic energy needs and public opinion on nuclear power.
Kazakhstan is pushing on with developing its capacity to export electricity to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, despite difficulties in obtaining the electricity required to support the country’s economic expansion.
A draft agreement on the strategic green energy partnership between the government of Kazakhstan and the countries of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan has been made available for public review. The deal would add details to a letter of intent that the three nations inked in May reports Eurasianet.org.
“Emphasizing the importance of green and clean energy in global action to combat climate change, the Parties encourage mutual cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, green hydrogen and green ammonia to improve energy system security and the stability of supply,” the draft states.
“Jointly implement new energy infrastructure initiatives that will contribute to the diversification of energy supplies and transit routes in Europe, Central Asia, and the Caspian region” is the commitment made by Kazakhstan in the draft document. Additionally, it states that “rapid, deep, and sustainable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” are its goals. In addition, the parties state that they are interested in “facilitating the interconnection of the energy systems of Central Asia and Azerbaijan for broad strategic energy expansion and sustainable export of green energy.”
The European Union, which has struggled with energy shortages and high costs as a result of the disruption caused by the Kremlin’s unwarranted attack on Ukraine and the subsequent implementation of sanctions on Russia, appears to be the primary market for green energy under the trilateral plan.
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan intend to build a high-voltage power transmission line on the Caspian seabed to enable the export of electricity to the West, as stated in the memorandum of intent that was signed in May. The May memo and the draft agreement from July don’t shed light on important issues like building timelines, particular infrastructure projects, and investment costs.
With its wide, windswept steppes, Kazakhstan’s climate and topography make it an ideal place to install wind-generating projects. The nation has at least 920 billion kWh of annual wind energy potential, according to the Ministry of Energy.
Kazakhstan is actively utilizing its potential for renewable energy. Currently, coal-fired production generates over 80% of Kazakhstan’s power, with only about 6% coming from renewable sources. However, a bold government plan calls for increasing the proportion of power output from renewable energy to 15% by 2030 and 50% by 2050.
Some experts wonder where all the power output will come from to meet expanding local needs and ambitious export goals if the government sticks to those commitments. According to Olzhas Baidildinov, a Kazakh energy expert, a Russian media source projects that Kazakhstan will have a 6 gigawatt electricity shortfall by 2030.
Atomic energy is the lone wild card in Kazakhstan’s power generation strategy. Kazakhstan, a nation with the environmental scars to attest to its role as the Kremlin’s primary atomic testing field during the Soviet era, said in June that it intended to hold a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant.
Domestic demands might be met by a nuclear facility, leaving production from hydro and wind power sources for export. According to surveys, a small majority of Kazakhs are in favor of building a nuclear facility notwithstanding the environmental damage caused by atomic bombs. However, opinions could change based on whatever organization is chosen to construct a plant. The Russian state-controlled company Rosatom, according to some local analysts, has an advantage in winning the contract if the Kazakh government moves forward with its intentions to build a plant.
However, considering the problematic past of Soviet/Russian nuclear energy, the public’s resistance to the construction of a plant may be stronger for a Russian design than for a facility built in France, South Korea, or even China. There is still no date established for the referendum.
Recently, GreatGameInternational reported that Nevada has launched the largest solar and battery energy storage project in the U.S., known as the Gemini Solar + Storage project.
