Astana, 29 October. The chairman of the management board of Samruk-Energy, Kairat Maksutov, was dismissed for insufficient control over the deadlines for building and commissioning new capacity, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov explained at a government meeting.
"He was repeatedly warned, but he did not draw the proper conclusions. That is why yesterday the President voiced harsh criticism, after which the decision was taken," Bektenov said. He told the Ministry of Energy and the Samruk-Kazyna fund to see the projects through and prevent a repeat, and by the end of the year to update the country's single energy balance to 2035, taking into account "clean" coal, renewable sources and the start of construction of the Balkhash nuclear power plant next year.
Complaints about Maksutov had been voiced before. Bektenov warned him of personal responsibility for combined heat and power plant No. 3 in Almaty: "The situation at CHP-3 is unsatisfactory. The pace of work is very low." The plant was then about 26% complete, and power from CHP-3's new gas unit had been promised for December 2026.
At the same meeting Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov repeated the schedule: 2,418 MW of capacity in 2026, about 825 MW in 2027 and another 4,000 MW in 2028–2029. "Thus, as early as 2029 a stable surplus is expected in Kazakhstan's power system, taking into account the necessary capacity reserve of 20 percent," he said. The promise is not new: in January the energy ministry pledged to end the power deficit by the end of the first quarter of 2027, and in July to meet demand in full from the start of 2027 and reach a surplus of about 1.3 billion kWh by its end; the current schedule repeats those dates.
What it means: Maksutov's dismissal was not a one-off outburst: he had been told about missed deadlines before, and the President's criticism was the last straw. The promised 2029 surplus also depends on whether the plants are finished on time.
Who benefits: Electricity consumers – if new capacity comes on stream on time and the country stops buying missing power from its neighbours. Energy-intensive projects: the minister singled out data centres and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Background: In 2025 Kazakhstan generated 123.1 billion kWh of electricity against consumption of 124.6 billion kWh. In his address the President proposed considering a state strategic uranium reserve to supply future Kazakh nuclear plants "for the next century". Kazakhstan accounts for about 40% of world uranium output.
We have also reported that Samruk-Energy chief Kairat Maksutov was removed on the day of the address.
