QAZAQ GREEN. The EU is interested in expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan in the field of renewable energy sources, Kestutis Jankauskas, EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan, told Trend.

"As the EU moves away from fossil fuels, we want to work with Kazakhstan on renewable energy and green technologies. Kazakhstan is abundant in solar and wind power. So far, it has implemented certain renewable power producing facilities with European investors," he said.

According to the ambassador, one of the largest is the German-Swedish SVEVIND project to produce green hydrogen in the Western Mangystau region of Kazakhstan.

"Within two years, it will supply Kazakhstan with green hydrogen to boost its global competitiveness and send green energy to Europe. So, project success depends on the Trans-Caspian corridor," Jankauskas noted.

He pointed out that European companies are also successfully developing renewable wind or solar projects in Kazakhstan.

"The Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate which bundles activities from Member States and the EU in Central Asia, will start its implementation with a first 20 million euro program and support regional energy cooperation and grid development. Our experience in Europe shows that such cooperation will stimulate the green transition and the reduction of emissions," he added.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's renewable energy installations generated 6.675 billion kWh of electricity by the end of 2023. This volume accounts for 5.92 percent of total electrical energy production in 2023.

The country currently has 147 renewable energy facilities (over 100 kW) with an installed capacity of 2,903.54 MW: 59 wind power plants with a capacity of 1,409.55 MW; 46 solar power plant facilities with a capacity of 1,222.61 MW; 39 hydroelectric power plants with a capacity of 269.605 MW; and three biogas power plant facilities with a capacity of 1.77 MW.

Furthermore, by the end of 2023, 16 renewable energy facilities with a total installed capacity of 495.57 MW had been operational: 12 wind farms with a total capacity of 437.1 MW in the Akmola and Zhetysu regions, 2 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 3.7 MW in the Almaty and Turkestan regions, and two solar power plants with a capacity of 54.77 MW in the Turkestan region.

Hence, a total of 25 renewable energy projects with a combined 599.85 MW of capacity are expected to be commissioned by 2027.