Kazakhstan plans to meet projected coal demand for new energy projects - estimated at more than 19 Mt/year - by expanding production capacity, the country’s Vice Minister of Energy announced during a meeting with the country’s largest coal mining companies (Kazinform News Agency, 02/03/2026).
During this meeting, private-sector coal companies and government representatives met for talks on how to use Kazakhstan's 33 Gt of coal reserves as part of the country's national project to expand coal-fired power capacity.
New coal-fired plants will push coal demand over 19 Mt/year by 2032, the energy ministry said, which can only be met by producers increasing their output capacity. Thermal producer Shubarkol Komir said it will increase production to 16.1 Mt in 2026, above the 15.7 Mt it produced in 2025. Bogatyr Komir, which operates the Ekibastuz coal mine, Kazakhstan's largest, said it plans to increase production from 42.7 Mt in 2024 to 45.2 Mt in 2026, with a long-term target of 56.5 Mt/year by 2032.
In February 2026, Kazakhstan presented a draft of National Coal Generation Development Plan for the development of coal generation, with 7.6 GW of new and modernized capacities planned by 2030 (KEI, 11/02/2026).