Kazakhstan Secures €18B to Transform Its Energy Future

Kazakhstan just took a major step toward transforming its energy system without leaving its workers behind.

The country launched QaJET, a platform designed to attract €18 billion in clean energy investment with backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The initiative officially debuts at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey this November.

Right now, fossil fuels power about 85% of Kazakhstan's electricity grid. The new platform aims to change that while ensuring coal-dependent communities don't get left behind in the shift.

About half the funding, roughly €8.7 billion, will build 10 gigawatts of new renewable energy capacity by 2035. Another quarter will strengthen the power grid to handle renewable energy more reliably.

The remaining funds will electrify transportation and industry, upgrade electricity networks, and create smart energy systems. These changes could reduce the country's annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 million tonnes.

Projects are already moving forward. A massive 1-gigawatt wind farm in the Zhambyl region will start operating in 2028 with 150 turbines and battery storage. TotalEnergies is developing the project, which will generate enough renewable electricity annually to avoid 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

In Almaty, the EBRD is providing €194 million to modernize electricity infrastructure serving 50,000 commercial customers. Workers will install automated meters and upgrade distribution networks across the region.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this approach different is its focus on people. Before major changes happen, partners will assess which regions face the greatest challenges from moving away from coal and identify new economic opportunities for affected workers.

"Workers in the energy sector need to be retrained as part of the energy transition," said Saule Sabieva, Climate Policy Director at Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The government is working with the European Union, United Kingdom, and international climate funds to ensure the transition creates opportunities rather than hardship.

Kazakhstan has strong natural resources for renewable projects and is improving regulations to attract investors. Long-term power purchase agreements give developers predictability, and auction prices for renewable energy have dropped since the system launched in 2018.

The platform supports Kazakhstan's commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 and cut net greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.

A country once heavily dependent on coal is now building a pathway to clean energy that puts its people first.