France and Kazakhstan to cooperate in the field of renewable and nuclear energy

French Total Eren is going to assist Kazakhstan in establishing a new up-to-date wind power plant while the other company from France Assystem will facilitate the development of nuclear energy in Kazakhstan. These deals have been sealed by the National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna during the official visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Paris this week.

The wind power station with a capacity of one Gigawatt costs $1.9 billion and will be built over 2026-2027 in the Jambyl region.

«This facility will increase the combined capacity of our renewable power sources by half. The entire project is going to be unique for Kazakhstan since this station will be able to accumulate any extra power in order to mitigate natural fluctuations associated with renewable energy,» the fund said in a statement.

There are three key participants in the deal: Samruk-Kazyna (20%), KazMunayGas (20%) and Total Eren (60%)

Given that France has vast experience in operating nuclear power plants, Kazakhstan has made arrangements with French Assystem, which is going to assist the country with training for its personnel and provide technical consultations to facilitate the construction of the very first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

Assystem is an independent engineering group in Paris. The company provides services in the sphere of design, construction supervision, clearing for operation and control over power and industrial facilities. Assystem is currently involved in nuclear plant construction in France, Finland and China.

Moreover, as a national holding Samruk-Kazyna is going to cooperate with French businesses in the sphere of petrochemical products production, hydrogen energy, uranium production and railway transportation through its subsidiaries.

For instance, KazMunayGas has made a deal with Air Liquide, one of the global leaders in the petrochemical industry; QazaqGaz is set to cooperate with Technip Energies, Task Force Hydrogen MEDEF International and France Hydrogen, while Kazatopmprom and Orano Mining have signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of uranium production.

Also, Kazakhstan Railways will receive additional support from the French bank Société Générale aimed at implementing a long-term contract with Alstrom, another French company. The company must build 245 electric locomotives in Astana over the period from 2023 to 2029.

«We had negotiations with many other French companies including Airbus and Safran (aircraft industry), Vicat and Saint Gobain (construction sector), Orano (atomic industry), Thales (electronics), Soufflet Group and Laсtalis (agriculture) and BPI France (banking sector). All of them have expressed the willingness to work in Kazakhstan,» the statement said.

On November 28, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with President Emmanuel Macron in France. According to Macron, Kazakhstan accounts for 90% of trade between France and Central Asia. In turn, Tokayev suggested opening a French chamber of commerce in Kazakhstan. He noted that the country will welcome such an entity.