European Bank for Reconstruction And Development Backs 1 GW Mirny Wind Farm With 300 MW / 600 MWh Battery Storage, Marking Kazakhstan’s First Large-Scale Wind Plus Storage Project

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending an A/B loan worth up to US$ 548 million (€467 million) to Aktas Energy to support the construction and commissioning of the Mirny wind power plant in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region. This is one of the most significant renewable energy projects planned in the country. The financing is structured in two parts.

The A-loan, valued at up to US$ 250 million (€213 million), will come directly from the EBRD. The B-loan, up to US$ 298 million (€254 million), will be arranged with several international co-lenders. These lenders include China Construction Bank, Qatar National Bank, Société Générale, and Standard Chartered, all of whom will participate through a syndicated structure.

Once completed, the Mirny wind power plant will have an installed capacity of 1 GW, making it the largest onshore wind development in Kazakhstan. The project will also include a 300 MW / 600 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). This will be the first industrial-scale wind facility in the country to incorporate such storage, allowing the plant to deliver more stable and reliable renewable power.

Aktas Energy, the project developer, is a joint venture formed by TotalEnergies, Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, and KazMunayGas, the national energy company responsible for the country’s oil and gas sector. The project itself stems from a broader intergovernmental agreement between Kazakhstan and France aimed at strengthening cooperation in the energy sector.

The EBRD’s involvement will be complemented by additional financing from Proparco, the private-sector arm of the Agence française de développement, DEG – the German Investment Corporation, and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan. Together, these institutions are helping to advance Kazakhstan’s shift toward cleaner and more secure energy sources.

With the combination of wind generation and battery storage, the Mirny project is expected to enhance grid stability and improve the overall reliability of Kazakhstan’s energy system. It is also projected to cut approximately 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year, making it an important contributor to the country’s climate targets.

Kazakhstan currently relies heavily on coal to supply its 25 GW electricity system. However, the country has set an ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 and aims to add 10 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2035. The EBRD has been a long-standing partner in this transition, investing nearly US$ 12 billion (€10.2 billion) across 345 projects in Kazakhstan. This makes Kazakhstan the largest and longest-serving recipient of EBRD investment in Central Asia.