ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 10. Last year, Kazakhstan imported 3.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at a Government meeting, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh President.
President Tokayev highlighted that Kazakhstan is compelled to annually import electricity to address the domestic deficit, a situation further aggravated by the aging and deteriorating condition of the country's generating facilities and power grids.
He noted that, in the last three years, the “Tariff in Exchange for Investments” program has allocated over 1 trillion tenge ($2.02 billion) to the energy sector. However, of this amount, over 900 billion tenge ($1.82 billion) was used for repairs, while only 140 billion tenge ($283 million) was invested in new generation capacity.
“This level of investment is clearly inadequate to ensure the long-term stability of our energy system. The energy deficit continues to be a significant barrier to the country’s development,” Tokayev remarked.
The President further pointed out that Kazakhstan currently generates 123 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which remains insufficient to meet domestic demand. Looking ahead, the Government plans to introduce 13.3 GW of new capacity by 2029, including 5.9 GW from renewable energy sources. It is anticipated that by 2027, the country will not only meet its electricity demand but also achieve a surplus of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours.
"These figures are meaningful only if commitments are implemented on time and plans are backed by funding," Tokayev said.
He also noted that the Government must ensure the full commissioning of all planned energy capacities. There can be no talk of postponing deadlines.
The currency conversions are based on the official exchange rate of 1 USD = 494.75 tenge, as of February 10, 2026.