ABSTRACT

Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources including coal, oil, natural gas and uranium and has significant renewable potential from wind, solar, hydro and biomass. In spite of this, the country is currently dependent upon fossil fuels with coal-fired plants accounting for 75% of total power generation leading to concerns over greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on human health and the environment.

This book analyses the implications of the global shift to cleaner energy for a country whose economy has centred on hydrocarbon exports. The challenge is urgent for Kazakhstan, whose recent economic growth has driven increased demand for energy services, making the construction of additional generating capacity increasingly necessary for enabling sustained growth. In this context, renewable energy resources are becoming an increasingly attractive option to help bridge the demand-supply gap. Chapters written by experts in the field provide a comprehensive review of the current energy situation in Kazakhstan including fossil energy and renewable resources and analyses policy drivers for the energy sector. Emphasising that clean energy covers a variety of renewables, as well as cleaner use of hydrocarbons, this book argues that future technological change will affect the relative attractiveness of the various choices.

Recognising technical, geographical and domestic and international political constraints on policymakers’ options, this book will be of interest to an interdisciplinary audience in the fields of resource management and clean energy, development economics and Central Asian Studies.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

part I|58 pages

Setting the scene

part II|124 pages

Evolution and future scenarios for Kazakhstan’s energy sector

chapter 4|25 pages

Integration of wind and solar power in Kazakhstan

Incentives and barriers

chapter 5|19 pages

The national power grid and the room for feed-in energy supply

USSR heritage in Kazakhstan and international best-practice benchmarks

chapter 9|10 pages

Carbon capture and storage in geological formations

The potential for Kazakhstan 1

chapter 10|10 pages

Energy service centres

An innovative approach to achieving energy efficiency in Kazakhstan

chapter 11|33 pages

Samruk-Green Energy LLP

Case study

part IV|17 pages

Looking forward