Power of Kazakhstan

Main article: Economy of Kazakhstan

2025: Turks build new CHP in Kazakhstan for ₽33 billion

By the end of October 2025, the Turkish company Aksa Energy is completing the construction of a combined-cycle gas power plant in the Kazakh city of Kyzylorda. The CHPP is designed to generate thermal and electrical energy and should close the needs of the region. Read more here.

2024

Reduction in coal production by 4% to 109 million tons

According to the Analysis of the Coal Market in Kazakhstan, prepared by BusinesStat in September 2025, in 2023-2024 its production in the country decreased by 4% to 109 million tons.

The decrease in production was due to a warm winter and a decline in household demand in the country, as well as a decrease in the share of households heated by coal amid gasification and urbanization. Due to the fall in world coal prices, the development of green power, logistics restrictions (shortage of cars, violation of supply schedules in the direction of Kazakhstan - Russia - Europe), export shipments decreased, which additionally put pressure on output.^[1]

55% of electricity generation comes from coal and 28% from gas

Electricity generation in Kazakhstan in 2024:

• Coal: 55.5%
• Gas: 28%
• Hydropower: 9.1%
• Wind: 3.7%
• Fossil fuels not listed: 2.1%
• Solar: 1.7%.

71% of citizens of Kazakhstan in a referendum supported the return to nuclear power

In October 2024, citizens of Kazakhstan supported the return to nuclear power. 71.12% of citizens voted for the decision to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan in a referendum.

Construction Plan for Small Modular Reactors from USA and Canada

In 2024, the atomic project in Kazakhstan twice passed the scientific and technical council of the Kazakh investment holding Samruk Kazyna and received approval, and the project proposal is already financially provided by the "international scientific and technical center."

They want to build an energy complex based on small modular reactors, combined with renewable energy generation (RES) promoted by Western interested parties.

Negotiations on this project are already underway with MAEK, but everything is at an early stage. After all, the small modular reactors in question - GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (Canada) and NuScale ( USA ) - are not only not yet brought to the international level, they are not at all "in metal." Moreover, in the case of NuScale, we are talking about a reactor on natural circulation, without pumps, which reduces its maneuvering characteristics even in comparison with the existing PWR/VVER.

However, memoranda have already been signed with both companies at Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants LLP, and in July 2024, a dialogue was held between the US State Department, the US Department of Energy and the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan in Astana and events were planned in several areas, including renewable energy and energy security.

2022: Power Generation Shortfall

Kazakhstan electric grid management company Kegoc in December 2022 announced the possibility of limiting electricity consumption by large industrial enterprises due to the lack of generation. "In December of this year, there is a significant increase in energy consumption in the UES of Kazakhstan. So, on December 7, 2022, a historical maximum of consumption in the entire history of the Kazakh energy system was recorded - 16,459 MW, while the total generation of the country's power plants was only 15,203 MW, "the message says. The deficit was covered by unscheduled flows from the power system Russia.

2020: Average energy consumption per capita

Energy consumption per capita, including electricity, transport heating in 2019-2020

2000s: Abandonment of low-power nuclear reactor

In the 2000s, citizens of Aktau were offered a project of two power units based on the VBR-300 reactor - Soviet development using design solutions for submarine reactors and icebreakers. In the most general plan, it was the older brother of a later project of a low-power nuclear power plant based on the RITM-200N reactor, which Rosatom plans to implement in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

However, the population of the region refused this option, despite the reliable design. What in 2024 complains about, having all the problems from lack of power, and the Minister of Energy recalls that the Russian technology of small modular reactors of the XXI century, "to which they are just being selected" in the world, worked at MAEK back in the 1970s.

1999: The beginning of the decommissioning of the nuclear reactor under pressure from Western countries

In 1999, flattered by (as it turned out - empty) promises, the country's leadership began a 50-year cycle of decommissioning the reactor - a process typical of many post-Soviet countries. This happened in Lithuania at the Ignalina nuclear power plant, to the same time Western countries in 2024 are trying to persuade Armenia, insisting on the "danger" of the Metsamor nuclear power plant.

1972: Aktau Fast Neutron Nuclear Reactor BN-350

In Aktau, in 1972-1999, the Mangistau Nuclear Power Plant (MAEK) worked with the BN-350 fast neutron nuclear reactor. It provided electricity generation and heat supply to the region, as well as the operation of the world's only nuclear desalination plant for the city and industrial facilities.

See also

• Power of Russia