South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility is strengthening its footprint in Kazakhstan’s energy sector, holding high-level talks with the country’s new Minister of Energy as part of broader efforts by “Team Korea” to secure strategic partnerships, including a major nuclear power project.
On April 17, Kim Jung-kwan, Executive Vice President at Doosan Enerbility, met with Erlan Akkenzhenov, Kazakhstan’s recently appointed Energy Minister, in the capital city of Astana. According to the ministry, the two discussed cooperation in areas such as combined cycle power generation and nuclear energy. Kim also showcased Doosan’s high-efficiency turbine technology during the meeting.
The meeting comes as Kazakhstan seeks to modernize its aging energy infrastructure and move forward with selecting a nuclear power operator. Doosan is positioning itself alongside key Korean partners under the “Team Korea” initiative—competing with Russia’s Rosatom, France’s EDF, and China’s CNNC to build two 2,800MW reactors in the Ulken region.
Kazakhstan currently generates nearly 70% of its electricity from thermal power plants, many of which have been in operation for over 30 years. As a result, the country faces recurring power shortages. In response, the government adopted a National Infrastructure Plan late last year to build new power plants and upgrade the existing power grid.
Doosan Enerbility has an established presence in the region. In 2020, the company successfully completed the 310MW Karabatan Combined Cycle Power Plant, and in 2023, it secured a $850 million contract to construct a 1,000MW plant in Shymkent, scheduled for completion in the second half of 2025.
Beyond power generation, Doosan is also contributing to environmental initiatives. In April 2023, it signed an MoU with Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry and KEPCO KPS to provide environmental facilities for thermal plants in Almaty, Pavlodar, Astana, and Topar, as well as performance improvement services. In June, during former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit, Doosan signed cooperation agreements with state-owned energy and finance giants Samruk-Kazyna and Samruk-Energy for future joint ventures.
Doosan’s nuclear ambitions continue to grow. In October 2023, Almassadam Satkaliyev, then Minister of Energy and now Head of the Presidential Nuclear Agency, visited Doosan’s Changwon plant in South Korea to review its nuclear equipment manufacturing capabilities. A month earlier, EVP Kim met with Nurgali Arystanov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Seoul, to explore further collaboration.
As Kazakhstan accelerates its energy infrastructure overhaul, Doosan Enerbility is poised to play a pivotal role in the country’s transition—across both thermal and nuclear sectors.
