In recent years, Kazakhstan's electricity consumption has been predominantly fueled by fossil energy sources. In fact, fossil energy sources account for over 87% of the country's power generation. Of this, coal contributes to more than half at around 67%, while gas supplies more than a fifth at approximately 21%. On the other hand, low-carbon energy sources constitute under 13% of the electricity generation, a relative sparsity that underscores the nation's heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Within the low-carbon category, hydropower contributes the most at nearly 8%, wind comes in second at around 3%, and solar, albeit a small player, accounts for close to 2%.
To augment its low-carbon electricity generation, Kazakhstan can learn from successful strategies implemented by countries with similar geographies and resources. Examining France, Slovakia, and Ukraine, it becomes evident that countries can derive a significant proportion of their electricity from nuclear energy, marked at 66%, 61%, and 58% respectively. Furthermore, moving towards wind energy could be viable, as evidenced by Denmark generating 59% of its electricity from wind. With its vast steppes, Kazakhstan could potentially capitalize on wind as a significant source of green energy. Additionally, though solar output is currently modest in Kazakhstan, countries such as Greece, Australia, and Chile, which generate nearly a fifth of their electricity from solar, provide a model for harnessing the ample sunlight another clean energy resource.
Looking back at the history of low-carbon electricity in Kazakhstan, hydropower has always been a primary contributor. During the late 1980s, there was a modest but progressive increase in hydropower generation with growth of around 1 TWh per year. However, the following decade marked a period of volatility with periods of both growth and contraction, the most significant decrease occurring in 1996 with a decrease of 1 TWh. The new millennium saw a gradual uptick overall with an increase of 1.4 TWh in 2000 despite ensuing fluctuations. Recent years, specifically post-2010, witnessed not only a continuation of general growth in hydropower but also the advent and steady rise in wind and solar energies. By 2023, wind energy production had jumped by 1.3 TWh indicating its escalating role in Kazakhstan's efforts for a cleaner energy future.