Dubai: The governments of the UAE and the Republic of Kazakhstan have signed an agreement to co-operate in the development of Kazakhstan’s renewables sector. This includes the development of a large-scale wind power project with a 1GW capacity.
The agreement between the Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure was signed under the guidance of Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Furthermore, a Joint Development Agreement was inked between Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) – the UAE’s clean energy champion, who will spearhead the project – W Solar, Qazaq Green Power QGP (a Samruk-Kazyna Group company), and the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund, to develop and implement a 1GW wind project.
Mr. Almassadam Satkaliyev, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, stated that, “The government agreement for the development of a 1GW large-scale wind power project that we are signing today is in line with the policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to combat global climate change, including by achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. We are highly interested in fostering our mutually beneficial cooperation with our UAE colleagues, aimed at promoting innovation in the field of renewable energy.”
The signing took place at COP28, in Dubai. This project will play an important role in strengthening co-operation between the two countries, as well as in accelerating Kazakhstan’s energy transition.
Kazakhstan hopes to increase renewables capacity to 15 percent of its energy supply by 2030 (and to 50 percent by 2050) and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Mr. Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, and Infrastructure, remarked that, “The UAE and Kazakhstan have a strong track record of co-operation and collaboration in the energy space. We are pleased to strengthen this partnership with today’s agreement and look forward to working closely with our friends in Kazakhstan on promoting energy security and the green transition. In particular, this 1GW wind project, led by Masdar, will make an important contribution to increasing the country’s energy security and renewables capacity.”
This marks Masdar’s inaugural project in Kazakhstan, Central Asia’s largest economy. It represents a significant investment in the country’s potential as a major clean energy producer and aligns with the UAE’s support for Kazakhstan’s ambitious climate action plans.
Mr. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar’s Chief Executive Officer, commented that, “We are delighted to move forward with our first project in Kazakhstan and to help the country meet its ambitious renewable energy targets. Masdar has a track record of delivering world-class renewable projects globally, and we are confident that this wind project will be transformative for the surrounding regions. We look forward to continuing our work with the Government of Kazakhstan, as well as our partners at Qazaq Green Power, the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund, and W Solar. We are excited to see how our projects across the region continue to develop.”