Kazakhstan energy mix & electricity
Electricity generation in Kazakhstan reached 124 TWh in 2025. More than half of it, 54.3%, came from coal; natural gas was a distant second with 29.4%.
Electricity generation by source in 2025
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | 67.12 | 54.3% | −16.4 |
| Gas | 36.37 | 29.4% | +11.9 |
| Hydro | 10.51 | 8.5% | −1.6 |
| Wind | 5.83 | 4.7% | +4.6 |
| Solar | 2.04 | 1.6% | +1.6 |
| Oil | 1.82 | 1.5% | 0 |
| Total | 124 | 100% |
Kazakhstan: electricity in context
Electricity generation in Kazakhstan reached 124 TWh in 2025. That is similar to Philippines. More than half of it, 54.3%, came from coal; natural gas was a distant second with 29.4%.
The renewable share stood at 14.9%, placing Kazakhstan 122nd of 158 ranked countries (in the bottom quarter). This puts it 19 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Asia (27.3%). Generating one kWh emits about 805 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). Few grids in the world emit more per kilowatt-hour. On carbon intensity, Kazakhstan ranks 151st of 158 from the cleanest.
The decade’s big winner is natural gas, up 20.3 TWh between 2015 and 2025 (plus 11.9 percentage points of the mix). Taken together, the renewable share rose by 4.6 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 32 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 836 to 805 g/kWh, a 4% cut.
Coal is in clear retreat: its share fell from 70.6% in 2015 to 54.3% in 2025, after peaking at 81.1% back in 2011.
Wind and solar together provided 6.4% of electricity (solar 1.6%, wind 4.7%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 98 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh. Wind adds 280 kWh per person.
Kazakhstan generates 5,934 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 1.5 times the global average. Cross-border trade is roughly balanced.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 1985. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Kazakhstan against the world and Asia averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 5.1% of primary energy and fossil fuels 94.9% (2024). Per person, that is 41,865 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Kazakhstan
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 33 utility-scale plants in Kazakhstan with a combined capacity of 18.6 GW. Coal plants account for the largest slice (85% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Ekibastuz-1 power station (4,000 MW, Coal). The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.
Largest power plants
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity MW | Commissioned | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ekibastuz-1 power station | Coal | 4,000 | 1982 | Samruk-Energo JSC |
| 2 | Aksu power station | Coal | 2,450 | 1972 | Eurasian Energy Corp |
| 3 | MAEK-Kazatoprom TPP-2 | Coal | 1,255 | — | — |
| 4 | OJSC Zhambyl GRES | Coal | 1,230 | — | JSC Samruk Energy |
| 5 | Ekibastuz-2 power station | Coal | 1,000 | 1992 | JSC Ekibastuzskaya GRES |
| 6 | Pavlodar TPP-1 | Coal | 855 | 1959 | Aluminum of Kazakhstan |
| 7 | Shulbinskaya HPP | Hydro | 720 | 1987 | AES |
| 8 | JSC Bukhtarminskaya | Hydro | 675 | — | — |
| 9 | Karaganda GRES-2 | Coal | 608 | 1996 | IPC |
| 10 | Karaganda TPS-3 power station | Coal | 590 | 1988 | TOO Karaganda Energy Center |
| 11 | Almaty TPP-2 | Coal | 510 | — | — |
| 12 | Karaganda TETS 1 | Coal | 475 | 2002 | IPC |
| 13 | Pavlodar-3 power station | Coal | 440 | 1975 | JSC Central-Asian Elec Power |
| 14 | Petropavlovsk-2 power station | Coal | 401 | 1965 | JSC Central-Asian Elec Power |
| 15 | Karaganda TPS-2 power station | Coal | 400 | 1976 | JSC Mittal Steel Temiratu |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 33 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Kazakhstan
121 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 1.3 GW of solar and 1.4 GW of wind operating, plus 45.3 GW under construction or planned.
How does Kazakhstan compare?
Kazakhstan next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.
| Country | Renewable % | Low-carbon % | Fossil % | gCO₂/kWh | kWh / person | Generation TWh | Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 14.9% | 14.9% | 85.1% | 805 | 5,934 | 124 | — | |
| China | 37% | 41.7% | 58.3% | 525 | 7,474 | 10,583 | Compare | |
| Russia | 17.4% | 35.7% | 64.3% | 450 | 8,283 | 1,193 | Compare | |
| Uzbekistan | 19.4% | 19.4% | 80.6% | 1,000 | 2,340 | 86.7 | Compare | |
| Turkmenistan | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1,306 | 4,405 | 33 | Compare | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 84.7% | 84.7% | 15.3% | 153 | 2,163 | 15.8 | Compare | |
| Tajikistan | 94.4% | 94.4% | 5.6% | 73 | 2,287 | 24.7 | Compare | |
| Asia average | 27.3% | 32.1% | 67.9% | 573 | 3,749 | 18,015 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Kazakhstan is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Kazakhstan?
How clean is the electricity in Kazakhstan?
Does Kazakhstan have nuclear power?
How much electricity does Kazakhstan use per person?
How much solar power does Kazakhstan produce?
Does Kazakhstan import electricity?
More countries in Asia
Sources & references
- Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
- Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity
Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2025. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.