The economy in Kazakhstan is very energy demanding – the industry consumes about 69% of the generated electrical energy. Coal constitutes about 55% of primary energy resources consumption, and it is expected that its consumption in absolute terms shall remain approximately at the same level in the mid-term perspective. Around 66% of national power stations use coal to generate energy, also more than 80% of the centralized heating systems in Kazakhstan are coal-based functioning. Such factors like economy structure, the fuel-power resources which are available and deployed – have a great influence on the national quantity of greenhouse gas emissions.

     All of that causes the fact that nowadays in Central Asia Kazakhstan is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions with its annual emissions quantity at 310,2 Mt CO_2e (dated 2015). The greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions falls on the fuel-power complex – in 2015 it was 79% (peaking index – 88%, recorded in 2010). The second place is after the agriculture – 29,1 Mt CO_2e or 9% of emission in 2015.

    By the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions per GDP unit Kazakhstan is in the first ten countries of the world with the highest level of such index. Therefore, replacement of the hydrocarbon fuel with renewable energy sources when generating heat and power in any quantities shall result in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

     The goal of the project is to provide assistance to the Government of RK in the development of the renewable energy and to improve the investment climate to encourage the active introduction of renewable energy sites nationwide.            

    The project targets both large-scale and small-scale renewable energy. The long-term of this project is to contribute to achievement of the energy market transformation in Kazakhstan by significantly scaling-up the deployment of renewable energy in electricity generation, from 1,1% (СЭС, ВЭС, small scale hydropower plant up to 35 MWt, 2017) to a 10% RE share by 2030, which makes 10-fold increase in renewable energy-based energy generation.                                                                                                                             

    The project shall mainly focus on wind and solar energy sources. However, other types of renewable energy shall be considered in the balance as well (biogas, geothermal energy, water power engineering, etc.). The project will promote the latest business and finance models for small-scale RES developers.

Executive agency: Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Contact information: Project Coordinator – Adambek Nurzhan

e-mail: adambek.nurzhan@undp.org

Address: Azerbaijan Mambetov Str, 24, office 415, Astana

www.undp.org/kazakhstan

Beneficiaries: Citizens of RK Government of RK

Project duration: 2018 – 2024

Total budget: $ 55,520,000

GEF: $ 4,510,000

Co-financing:

Government of RK: $ 3,250, 000

Other: $ 50,910,000

UNDP: $ 100,000