Masdar starts work on Kazakhstan wind farm

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has broken ground on its 1-gigawatt (GW) wind farm in Kazakhstan.

The $1.4 billion project in the Zhambyl region in southern Kazakhstan is one of the largest renewable energy developments in Central Asia.

It is being co-developed with W Solar, Qazaq Green Power, a Samruk-Kazyna Fund company and the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund.

The wind farm features a 600-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system to support grid stability, the Abu Dhabi state-backed renewables major said in a statement.

Once completed, the project will generate clean electricity to power 880,000 homes in southern Kazakhstan and cut about 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Kazakhstan’s energy and infrastructure minister, Yerlan Akkenzhenov, said the partnership will drive renewable energy development and propel the country towards carbon neutrality.

Additionally, Masdar signed a roadmap agreement with Kazakhstan’s ministry of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital development to advance the country’s round-the-clock clean energy project.

Further reading:

• Masdar buys stake in Spanish renewables portfolio
• Masdar pushes ahead with $45bn deployment despite war
• Masdar JV gets development approval for UK wind farms

The proposed initial phase will provide up to 200 megawatts of baseload power for data centres and AI infrastructure. The agreement provides the foundation for the project’s development, including site identification, technical assessment, and stakeholder alignment.

Masdar is doubling down on AI and renewable energy expansion globally as it pushes ahead with plans to deliver 100GW of capacity by 2030.

It has deployed $45 billion in capital across six continents and exported 65GW of renewable energy capacity worldwide, with its expansion drive stretching from Bali to California.

The company is owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned Taqa (43 percent), Mubadala (33 percent) and Adnoc (24 percent).