BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 10. Kazakhstan has accumulated 4.5 million tons of coal for the 2026-2027 heating season, covering 80% of the 5.7 million tons required by the population.
The percentage figure was calculated by Trend based on official data announced by Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov at a government meeting today, cited by the press service of the Kazakh government.
According to him, the total coal requirement for the current heating season stands at 7.3 million tons, including 5.7 million tons for households and 1.6 million tons for the utilities sector. Regional authorities have so far procured 4.5 million tons, representing 62% of the combined requirement.
Meanwhile, energy companies have accumulated 5.8 million tons of coal and 137,000 tons of fuel oil in their stockpiles. Akkenzhenov noted that all power plants have the required standard coal reserves.
The Ministry of Energy has also approved a schedule for supplying 25,000 tons of subsidized fuel oil. Shipments under this schedule have been underway since September 2026.
A Republican Headquarters involving all relevant stakeholders is operating under the Ministry of Energy to coordinate coal supplies to the population, the minister said.
Notably, Kazakhstan remains one of the world's major coal-producing countries, with the fuel playing a central role in its energy security. Coal production reached approximately 115 million tons in 2025, of which around 85 million tons were directed to domestic consumption and 30 million tons exported. The country has estimated coal reserves of 33.6 billion tons, concentrated mainly in the central and northeastern regions, including the Karaganda and Ekibastuz basins. Coal-fired power plants generated 74.9% of Kazakhstan's electricity in 2024, while coal is also widely used for heating in residential buildings and by industrial consumers.
Coal supplies are particularly important for households in northern, central and eastern Kazakhstan, where long, cold winters and limited access to gas infrastructure mean many homes rely on solid fuel for heating. According to the International Energy Agency, coal use is especially widespread in rural areas of these regions. At the same time, the expansion of natural gas networks has begun to reduce household demand for coal: the planned requirement for the 2026-2027 heating season is 7.3 million tons, 154,000 tons below the previous season. Railways remain essential to distributing fuel across the country's vast territory, connecting mining regions with power plants, municipal heating facilities and household consumers.
