Electricity availability has become a decisive factor in a country’s competitiveness and even its economic sovereignty, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of Kazakhstan, said in his annual address to the nation.
Tokayev described the current period as an «era of electricity,» saying Kazakhstan must turn its resource wealth into sustainable energy development and technological progress.
«Frankly speaking, there are more than enough problems here. We have very few professional energy experts, yet forums and discussions on energy issues are held with striking frequency and on a grand scale,» he said.
Electricity shortages drive costly imports
Kazakhstan faces an annual electricity deficit. During winter, when demand peaks, the country has to buy electricity from neighboring countries at high prices, only to sell it back in the summer at considerably lower rates.
«This is a rather simple ‘business model’ — one that has persisted for decades. I am told that this is standard practice in the energy sector. It is no surprise, then, that the construction of a combined heat and power plant in Balkhash, which had already begun, was effectively derailed. Even now, the commissioning of new power-generating capacity is being stalled in Turkestan, Kyzylorda, Almaty and Ekibastuz,» Tokayev said.
Kazakhstan needs more power for digitalization
Kazakhstan currently generates 123 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, according to Tokayev. He said this was insufficient for a country with expanding industrial, construction and agro-industrial sectors, particularly as it plans to digitize the economy, integrate artificial intelligence into public life and develop data centers.
Achieving a sustained electricity surplus by 2029 is a strategic priority, the president said.
To reach that goal, Kazakhstan must build new power plants and transmission lines, upgrade existing infrastructure, fully develop coal-fired power generation using cleaner technologies, and expand renewable energy, particularly solar power, Tokayev said.
