How much solar power does Kazakhstan have?

In just five short years, solar power capacity has catapulted to 300 megawatts nationwide, and if you add other renewables like wind and hydropower, that number exceeds 700 megawatts, enough power to supply around 200,000 families in Kazakhstan. To understand just how remarkable this is, you have to know the context.

Is Kazakhstan a good place to install solar power plants?

At least 50% of the territory of Kazakhstan is suitable for installing solar power plants (Antonov, 2014). However, up until recently, solar resources of the country were not being used for power generation. Kazakhstan is developing solar energy technologies, namely production of photovoltaic modules using local silicon.

Is solar energy a viable energy source in Kazakhstan?

In 2019, another solar power plant in Kazakhstan, Saran, with a capacity of 100 MW started its operation in the Karaganda region (Satubaldina, 2020). According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), within the period of 40 years, solar energy has a potential to meet about 20-25% of the energy demand of the country.

What is Kazakhstan's First Solar power plant?

The plant is to produce solar cells using Kazakhstan’s silicon. The designed capacity of photovoltaic wafers is 50 MW with a potential to increase up to 100 MW. In 2012, the first solar power station, “Otar,” that generates 0.5 MW of energy, was also built in the Zhambyl region.

Can solar power drive Kazakhstan's Energy Transition?

However, Kazakhstan’s solar ambitions do not fully tap into its potential, and the technology could play a far larger role in the country’s energy transition due to its low cost and flexibility. The focus now is on leveraging solar’s comparative advantages to drive forward Kazakhstan’s decarbonisation and harness its significant solar resources.

Can Kazakhstan produce solar cells using silicon?

As Kazakhstan is rich in silicon (85 million tons), production of silicon solar batteries on the domestic market was started (Sim, 2015). In this light, recently “Astana Solar” plant aimed at the production of photovoltaic modules was launched in Nur-Sultan. The plant is to produce solar cells using Kazakhstan’s silicon.