BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. The UK is helping Kazakhstan boost business connections in the green energy, Kenan Poleo, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region and British Consul General, Istanbul, told Trend.
"The collaboration between the UK and Kazakhstan in boosting cleaner renewable energy capacity is gaining pace and showing great potential," he said.
Poleo noted that Kazakhstan has committed to reach net-zero by 2060 in its carbon neutrality strategy, which will involve ambitious work across a variety of sectors.
"The UK government has signed a MoU on a Strategic Partnership on Low Carbon Hydrogen with Kazakhstan, which will help share best practice on low carbon hydrogen technologies, as well as energy market transition. Additionally, we are also taking clear and practical steps to help boost business connections in the green energy. This was demonstrated recently, when my team in Kazakhstan led a senior delegation of Kazakh businesses to Aberdeen, one of the most impressive clean energy hubs in the UK," he said.
Poleo went on to note that the delegation met their counterparts in the UK, exchanged knowledge and best practice tips, and he looks forward to further fruitful bilateral discussions ahead.
The UK is one of Kazakhstan’s key trade and economic partners, having invested more than $16 billion in the country's economy.
Bilateral trade turnover in 2022 amounted to $1.8 billion, an increase of 58.7 percent compared to 2021.
At the moment, about 550 companies, joint ventures and representative offices with the participation of British capital are registered in Kazakhstan, covering almost all sectors of the domestic economy.
By the end of 2022, there are 130 renewable energy facilities operating in Kazakhstan with an installed capacity of 2,400 MW (46 WPPs – 958 MW; 44 SPPs – 1148 MW; 37 HPPs – 280 MW; 3 BioPPs – 1.77 MW).
At the end of 2022, the volume of renewable energy production amounted to 5.11 billion kWh (wind farm - 2.4 billion kWh; solar power plant - 1.76 billion kWh; hydroelectric power station - 934 million kWh;) or 4.53 percent of the total volume of electrical energy production. In 2023, this figure will reach 5 percent.
Last year, 12 renewable energy facilities were commissioned with a total capacity of 385 MW with a total investment of 180 billion tenge (about $374 million).
In 2023, 15 facilities with a total capacity of 276 MW will be commissioned.