TotalEnergies Commits to Kazakhstan's Largest Wind & Storage Project

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

Summary

TotalEnergies has taken a final investment decision (FID) to build one of Kazakhstan's largest renewable energy projects, valued at US$1.2 billion.

Largest Wind Farm Project

Kazakhstan's journey towards clean energy has taken a big leap forward following a decision by French energy major TotalEnergies to construct a giant wind farm and  battery energy storage system (BESS) worth US$1.2 billion. 

The planned project will be located in Mirny in the southeast of the country, and comprise a 1 gigawatt (GW) onshore wind farm with 150 turbines combined with a 600 megawatt-hour (MWh) BESS supplied by TotalEnergies' subsidiary Saft. It will be the country's largest onshore wind development and its first industrial-scale wind power plant with BESS. When fully realized in 2029, Mirny will be able to generate roughly 100 terawatt-hours (TWh) of renewable electricity - enough to supply about 1 million people. According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are almost 100 planned renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan with a combined investment value of more than US$20 billion. Subscribers to Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can click here for the reports. 

The Mirny project is owned 60% by TotalEnergies with the remaining shares owned by Kazakhstan's Samruk Energy (20%) and KazMunayGas (20%). A joint venture company, Aktas Energy, will manage the project. A 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) was agreed with the government of Kazakhstan in 2023 and the project benefitted greatly from European financial support. 

Financial Aid Vital 

A consortium of banks and financial institutions led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has committed US$548 million to Aktas Energy for the construction and commissioning of the project. The ERBD is supplying US$250 million. "We are delighted to launch one of Kazakhstan's largest renewable energy initiatives to date, thereby contributing to the country's target of increasing the share of renewables in electricity generation to 15% by 2030," said Olivier Jouny, senior vice president of renewables at TotalEnergies. "This 1 GW onshore wind farm will also contribute to the 9 GW renewables portfolio that we are combining with Masdar through a 50/50 joint venture across nine Asian countries, including Kazakhstan." Industrial Info Resources subscribers can click here for the project reports. 

Energy Transition

Thanks to cheap domestic coal, Kazakhstan's energy mix is dominated by coal-fired power (54%), followed by gas (29%). The shift to gas has occurred in recent years with coal's share falling from above 70%, but renewable energy is fast growing. According to data compiled by Low Carbon Power, the country is already close to its 15% target. In 2024, renewables were led by hydropower (9.4%), wind (3.6%) and solar (1.7%) - 14.7% combined. Last month, the government launched its QaJET initiative to drive renewable energy growth with the goal of adding 10 GW of capacity by 2035. Official estimates show that it will need roughly US$20 billion in financing from both public and private sources and could cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 million tonnes, around 7% of Kazakhstan's energy-related output. 

Key Takeaways

• TotalEnergies has committed to building Kazakhstan's largest onshore windfarm and battery energy storage system (BESS) project, valued at US$1.2 billion. 
• It will feature a 1-gigawatt (GW) onshore wind farm with 150 turbines combined with a 600 megawatt-hour (MWh) BESS.
• Industrial Info Resources is tracking almost 100 planned renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan with a combined investment value of more than US$20 billion.

About Industrial Info Resources

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).