Kazakhstan eyes EU’s green supply gap

Central Asian country’s vast wind and solar resources have attracted a $50b electrolytic hydrogen mega-project aimed at exporting to Europe

Following the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2022, the EU was compelled to look for alternative suppliers of energy. This task has been complicated by the bloc’s commitment to its net-zero targets. Against this backdrop, Kazakhstan has declared its ambitions to become the EU’s key supplier of green hydrogen, as well as critical metals used in nuclear power generation. German company Svevind Energy Group has committed to developing a $50b mega-project aimed at producing up to 2mt/yr of green hydrogen—almost 20% of the EU’s 2030 target for green hydrogen imports—in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region. With production expected to start in 2027, full-scale operational capacity will be rea