UAE’s Masdar breaks ground on major wind energy project in Kazakhstan

Masdar, the leading clean energy company from the UAE, has announced plans to develop a 1 GW wind farm in Kazakhstan, marking a significant achievement in its renewable energy initiatives, as reported by WAM. The investment agreement for this project was formalized at COP29, currently taking place in Baku, highlighting a pivotal step in advancing Kazakhstan’s renewable energy goals.

The agreement was signed by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy, Almassadam Satkaliyev, and Abdulla Zayed, Masdar’s Director of Business and Project Development, reinforcing the mutual commitment of both nations to accelerate the energy transition. The signing was attended by several top officials, including Nurlan Baibazarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Board of Samruk-Kazyna, and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar.

The wind farm, located in the Jambyl region, will be Masdar’s inaugural project in Kazakhstan and will incorporate a 600 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Co-developed with W Solar, Qazaq Green Power, and the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund, Masdar will serve as the lead developer for this initiative.

Once completed, the 1 GW wind farm is set to become one of the largest in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, providing clean energy to approximately 300,000 households in southern Kazakhstan and eliminating 2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

This project aligns with the UAE’s broader efforts to assist Kazakhstan in achieving its climate objectives. It builds upon the commitments made at COP28 to enhance the development of Kazakhstan’s renewable energy sector. The initiative will also aid Kazakhstan in reaching its renewable energy targets, which aim for 15 percent renewable energy in the national energy mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050, along with attaining carbon neutrality by 2060.