Kazakhstan’s pipeline of large-scale solar projects currently stands at 900 MW, the country’s Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the Kurultai Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Energy, Akkenzhenov said solar remains one of the ministry’s priority areas for development.

Kazakhstan’s solar capacity reached 1.37 GW as of April this year, at which point total renewables capacity stood at over 3.7 GW. Renewables currently account for 8.5% of Kazakhstan’s electricity mix, according to additional government figures.

The Kazakh government has set a target of deploying at least 8.4 GW of new renewables capacity by 2035, including approximately 1.8 GW of solar, Akkenzhenov added.

During the same meeting, Akkenzhenov said Kazakhstan plans to commission 13.3 GW of new generation capacity by the end of 2029 in order to “strengthen energy security and meet the growing needs of the economy.”

Of this total figure, 7.4 GW is expected to come from baseload generation. Recent research on the potential of hybrid wind, solar and battery plants in Kazakhstan highlighted coal as the dominant energy source in the country’s electricity mix but explained its coal units are on average over 50 years old, leading to frequent equipment failures.

“The implementation of the planned projects will make it possible to meet the projected electricity demand of the population and economy, supply electricity to artificial intelligence infrastructure and large data centers, and establish a 20% surplus of generation capacity,” Akkenzhenov added.

The ministry’s latest update coincides with plans to develop professional standards in Kazakhstan’s renewable energy sector for the first time.

A meeting of the energy ministry’s Sectoral Council on Professional Qualifications in Renewable Energy discussed five draft standards covering solar, wind and green hydrogen on October 29.

The professional standards are expected to cover qualification requirements for specialists in the design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of solar and wind power plants.

According to an update posted by the Ministry of Energy, the draft standards are expected to be published on the country’s Open Portal of Legal Acts for public discussion in the near future.