The green hydrogen-water-food-nexus: A sustainability analysis for Kazakhstan (III/VI)

The sustainability analysis in this research study builds upon selected international environmental law and policy's key principles and agreements relevant to Kazakhstan. The study also uses the author's two qualitative concepts to present new policies for future sustainable green H2 hubs

As Central Asia’s energy transition pioneer, Kazakhstan is well-positioned to become a global player in the clean H2 industry. The country has scored multiple energy transition firsts in this region. For example, Kazakhstan was the first to set renewable energy targets, launch a national emissions trading system, develop utility-scale solar and wind projects, present a support mechanism for renewables, and set a carbon neutrality target by 2060 (Zabanova, 2024). In 2012, the government also announced the “Kazakhstan 2050” national strategy, aspiring to generate up to 50% of all energy consumed from alternative sources. Recently, the country realized the importance of H2 energy in meeting its national decarbonization goals. For instance, President Tokayev assigned the government to prioritize H2 and create the Competence Center for Hydrogen Energy at KazMunayGaz National Company (Zholdayakova et al., 2022). In June 2022, a Green H2 Alliance was established, cooperating with companies from Kazakhstan, Italy, Spain, and Germany (AIFC, 2022).  In November 2022, at the 27th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan to support the development of green H2 and battery value chains and increase the green and digital transformation of both economies (UN, 2023). In July 2024, Kazakhstan published first H2 standards, based on international ISO standards. The country officially approved three main standards for H2 fuel quality, fuel cell technologies, and safety requirements for H2 systems (Kazstandard, 2024a; 2024b; 2024c). 

In April 2024, Kazakhstan released the long-awaited draft of its national H2 roadmap until 2040. The strategy got a mixed review from Central Asian experts (Zabanova; Melnikov, 2024). For instance, the strategy does not prioritize specific H2 uses. In contrast, it includes those typically considered less promising, such as in residential heat or passenger mobility (rail, buses). It envisions the creation of H2 hubs (export-oriented) and a H2 refueling infrastructure and focuses on R&D and capacity building. The strategy also establishes plans to create a regulatory framework for H2 and national standards and certification mechanisms. It has six significant targets: 1) at least 10GW electrolyzer capacity by 2040, 2) at least 10 GW dedicated RE generation capacity for H2 production; 3) up to 5 trillion KZT in H2 investment by 2040, 4) up to 20% local content in its H2 technologies, 5) H2 production from flare gas (containing hydrogen sulfide) using high-power nuclear reactors, and 6) a pilot blue H2 production project by 2030. Lastly, the strategy also focuses on H2 export in combination with the “technological neutrality” concept in connection to blue, green, and nuclear H2 (MEK, 2024, p. 16). The following section reviews Kazakhstan’s water issues and opportunities related to clean H2 production, especially their impact on the green-H2-water-food nexus.