French energy giant TotalEnergies has approved a $1.2 billion investment in a 1-gigawatt wind farm in Kazakhstan, moving ahead despite ongoing legal and financial disputes in the country.
The decision, announced on Friday, underscores the company’s long-term commitment to expanding its renewable energy footprint while maintaining operations in complex regulatory environments.
The Mirny project will include a 600 megawatt-hour battery storage system and is expected to reach full capacity by 2029.
TotalEnergies will hold a 60% stake, while state-owned KazMunayGas and Samruk Energy will each own 20%.
The investment comes as TotalEnergies challenges a $4.6 billion environmental fine and a separate cost dispute linked to the Kashagan offshore oilfield in the Caspian Sea.
In contrast, rival Shell, also a partner in the Kashagan consortium, has paused further investment in Kazakhstan due to the disputes.
The Mirny development will be integrated into a 50/50 renewables partnership with Masdar, helping TotalEnergies share project costs and risks.
Around 75% of the project financing will come from external sources, reflecting strong investor backing for large-scale clean energy initiatives.
The move aligns with TotalEnergies’ strategy to grow its renewables portfolio from 31 GW to 100 GW of installed capacity by 2030.
The project also supports Kazakhstan’s goal of increasing renewable energy’s share in electricity generation to 15% by the end of the decade.