Dubai, UAE–The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kazakhstan signed an agreement outlining a commitment to co-operation in the development of Kazakhstan’s renewables sector, including through the development of a large-scale wind power project with a 1GW capacity.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, oversaw the signing of the agreement between the Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. The signing took place at COP28, in Dubai.
Alongside this, a Joint development agreement was signed 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.
Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Almassadam Satkaliyev noted, “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.”
Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said, “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.”
Masdar Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, added, “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 renewables 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.”
W Solar Chief Executive Office Muhammad Zafar commented, “Our collaboration with Masdar, Qazaq Green Power and KIDF in Kazakhstan is a testament to W Solar’s commitment to advancing renewable energy projects across the globe. This project in Kazakhstan is not just about energy generation, but about low carbon, safe and sustainable energy supplies and contributing to a greener planet.”
This project will play an important role in strengthening co-operation between the two countries, as well as in accelerating Kazakhstan’s energy transition, and its ambitions 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.
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.
Central Asia is a significant frontier market for Masdar. The region boasts massive potential for clean energy generation, and is particularly abundant in wind and solar resources. Masdar will continue working closely with the Government of Kazakhstan, as well as partners in other nations in the region, to further develop its truly global portfolio of clean energy projects.
Established in 2006, Masdar has developed and partnered projects in over 40 countries with a total combined electricity generation capacity of more than 20GW. It has invested, or committed to invest, in worldwide projects with a combined value of more than US$30 billion with ambitious growth plans to reach 100GW and 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030.