Kazakhstan’s power grid can handle electric vehicle boom, vice premier says

Kazakhstan’s expanding power-generating capacity will meet the growing electricity demand from electric vehicle (EV) drivers, according to First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar. He made the statement in response to a recent parliamentary inquiry.

Kazakhstan is actively developing its EV charging infrastructure. Currently, 25 companies and 42 individual entrepreneurs provide charging services. There are 28 charging stations operating along state-maintained highways, with 20 more set to be added in 2025. According to the national infrastructure development plan, the total number of charging stations is expected to reach 78 by 2029.

Authorities are also working to attract private investment in EV charging infrastructure. In 2024, KazAvtoZhol, the state-owned company managing the national road network, signed a memorandum of cooperation with QazaqEnergyCharge, a supplier of EV charging stations.

Sklyar highlighted that integrating EV charging stations into the national power grid will not threaten its stability or cause a sharp rise in electricity consumption. Government projections estimate that Kazakhstan’s energy demand will reach 21,851 megawatts (MW) in 2025 and increase to 28,484 MW by 2030.

To meet this demand, the Ministry of Energy plans to introduce about 26 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity and an additional 5.6 GW through the reconstruction and expansion of existing power plants by 2035.

«This will compensate for the growing demand, including that caused by the rise in EV adoption,» Sklyar said.

Planned energy projects include:

• Construction of Unit 7 at the Aksu State District Power Plant (325 MW).
• Installation of a new boiler unit and turbine replacement at Karaganda Thermal Power Plant-3.
• Expansion of Karabatan Utility Solution’s combined-cycle plant from 310 MW to 620 MW.

Additionally, in 2024, Kazakhstan launched a national project to modernize its energy and utilities sectors, aiming to upgrade 77,500 kilometers of electrical networks.

In September 2024, Kursiv.media reported that Astana Motors plans to invest $12 million in the construction of 250 EV charging stations in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent by 2028.