Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar has officially broken ground on a 1 GW wind farm in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region, marking the company’s first renewable energy project in the country and one of the largest integrated wind and battery energy storage developments in Central Asia.
The US$1.4 billion project includes a 600 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) designed to enhance grid stability and support the integration of renewable energy into Kazakhstan’s electricity network. The development is being led by Masdar in partnership with W Solar, Qazaq Green Power, a Samruk-Kazyna Fund company, and the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior government officials and representatives from Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the growing collaboration between the two countries in advancing clean energy and sustainable development.
Once operational, the wind farm is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 880,000 homes across southern Kazakhstan while avoiding around 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The project will also strengthen regional grid infrastructure through the construction of more than 400 kilometres of overhead transmission lines.
Alongside the groundbreaking, Masdar signed a roadmap agreement with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development to advance the country’s first Round-the-Clock (RTC) clean energy project. The initiative aims to provide continuous utility-scale renewable power, with the proposed first phase supplying up to 200 MW of baseload electricity to support data centres and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The agreement covers site selection, technical assessments, and stakeholder coordination as the project moves toward development.
The Zhambyl wind farm forms part of Masdar’s broader expansion strategy in Central Asia and supports the company’s target of reaching 100 GW of global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The RTC initiative builds on Masdar’s experience in continuous renewable energy solutions. In October 2025, the company broke ground on a 24/7 solar and battery storage project in Abu Dhabi, featuring a 5.2 GW (DC) solar photovoltaic plant integrated with a 19 GWh BESS, designed to deliver up to 1 GW of baseload power around the clock.
Kazakhstan has set a target of increasing the share of renewable energy in its electricity generation mix to 15% by 2030 and 50% by 2050. The Zhambyl project is expected to play a significant role in supporting these national clean energy objectives while strengthening long-term energy security and sustainable economic development.
