The Senate of Kazakhstan has approved an agreement with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to create a shared corridor for green energy. The project aims to link Central Asia’s energy systems with Europe.
Under the plan, electricity will initially be transmitted via a cable across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, then routed through Georgia and across the Black Sea to Romania, and onward to European Union countries.
Questions about capacity and competition
On the sidelines of Parliament, journalists asked whether Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan might compete for the cable’s capacity.
Vice Minister of Energy Sanzhar Zharkeshov said he does not expect competition. He noted the line’s capacity will be one gigawatt and expressed confidence that strong demand from European countries will accommodate both nations.
«Hopefully, Uzbekistan will maintain this pace, and high demand from European countries will resolve all issues,» he said.
Kazakhstan upgrades domestic infrastructure
Kazakhstan is already preparing its infrastructure. The Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company, known as KEGOC, is modernizing its networks and linking its western and northern zones to ensure exports proceed without technical obstacles.
Project moves from concept to implementation
The project has moved from concept to implementation, according to the Ministry of Energy. Officials noted that similar technologies are already in use globally. For example, Italian companies are implementing comparable projects in the Black Sea region.
Building on that experience, Kazakhstan has outlined a five-year investment program to fully prepare its domestic networks for transit.
