Masdar, one of the world’s foremost renewable energy companies, recently forged a monumental partnership with Samruk-Kazyna. Together, they plan to build a 1 gigawatt (GW) wind farm in Kazakhstan. The deal, signed last Friday at COP28, represents a sea change in Masdar’s long-standing initiatives to aid Kazakhstan’s aspirations for renewable energy development.
The intended offshore wind farm will include a 1,200 MW capable Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). It will be truly massive in scale, with a capacity of 600 megawatt-hours (MWh). This project could provide up to 500 megawatts (MW) of baseload renewable energy. It will go a long way to assist Kazakhstan meet its ambitious commitments of producing 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and 50 percent by 2050.
Masdar’s string of BESS projects under development is no less impressive than the wind farm. Together, these projects will have a total capacity of up to 2 GW. These initiatives help back Kazakhstan’s ambition of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060. They highlight Masdar’s commitment to expanding its renewable energy footprint in the region.
Masdar’s CEO, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, emphasized the significance of this partnership in a strategic sense. He stated, “Kazakhstan is a key strategic partner for Masdar and today’s agreement further strengthens our presence in the country, building on the strong collaboration established through our existing 1GW wind and battery storage project in the Jambyl region.”
Construction for the new wind farm would start in 2026. This move follows closely on the heels of the successful finalization of a multi-billion-dollar power purchase agreement. It tracks the investment deal for Masdar’s wind farm at last year’s COP29 in Baku.
Nurlan Zhakupov, an official from Samruk-Kazyna, underscored the significance of this partnership for realizing Kazakhstan’s national climate objectives. He remarked, “In line with President Tokayev’s objective of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, Samruk-Kazyna is strengthening its efforts in low-carbon development, including through partnerships with leading international companies such as Masdar.”
Masdar and Samruk-Kazyna have been working together to develop innovative renewable energy projects. One major point of interest is the possibility of creating a ‘24/7’ renewable energy vision. This partnership represents a significant investment in Kazakhstan’s energy infrastructure and reinforces the country’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental responsibility.