BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. The economic effect of implementing artificial intelligence solutions in Kazakhstan's fuel and energy sector is expected to reach about 23 billion tenge ($50.6 million) annually, Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov said at a government meeting.
According to the press service of the Kazakh government, Akkenzhenov said the country aims to shift the energy sector from responding to emerging problems to predicting them. Under the Digital Qazaqstan strategy, the Ministry of Energy plans to implement 20 measures through 2029 in three key areas: digital twins, artificial intelligence and cyber-physical security.
According to the minister, the measures are expected to reduce the accident rate at energy facilities by 25% and cut energy resource losses by up to 90%.
Akkenzhenov said the ministry has formed a portfolio of 45 artificial intelligence projects, 34 of which are currently being implemented. In the oil and gas sector, AI is used to plan the turnover of petroleum products with an accuracy of up to 85%, generating an economic effect of up to 22.5 billion tenge ($49.5 million) per year, he said.
In the gas sector, the technology is used to forecast consumption with an accuracy of up to 86%, with an economic effect of 300 million tenge ($659,370) annually, according to Akkenzhenov. Another 370 million tenge ($813,223) is expected to be generated through industrial safety solutions.
"The combined economic effect of the three solutions is about 23 billion tenge per year," Akkenzhenov said.
By the end of the year, the Ministry of Energy, together with the authorized state body, plans to approve a priority register of AI-based solutions. This is expected to allow companies to scale successful projects across the sector.
Digital twins will combine data on production facilities and help assess the potential consequences of decisions in advance. According to the ministry, a pilot project at an Embamunaigas field combines data on the reservoir, wells and production infrastructure. If the solution is scaled up, additional oil production could reach up to 2.9 million tons.
A digital twin of Astana's energy system is also being developed in the capital, with expected fuel savings of more than 2.5%.
Cyber-physical security measures include protecting industrial systems from cyber threats and providing physical protection for facilities. In 2026, the first industry-wide ENERFORT 2026 cyber exercise was held at Kazakh National University, bringing together more than 120 specialists. The exercises are planned to be held annually.
The ministry also plans to expand online monitoring of equipment. The share of key equipment connected to such monitoring is expected to increase from 20% in 2026 to 70% in 2028. This will allow malfunctions to be detected in advance and repairs to be planned accordingly.
At the same time, the traceability of energy resources from production to consumption will be expanded from 20% in 2026 to 80% in 2028. The system will include tracking the movement of oil and petroleum products from wells to filling stations.
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