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Kazakhstan is a big place, one which claims a “renewable energy potential estimated at 1,820 billion kWh from wind and 2.5 billion kWh from solar annually”. No surprise then, that it has ambitions “to become a key player in green hydrogen”.

Those ambitions took a step forward this week by way of an announcement by South Korea’s energy and engineering firm YPP, “to invest up to $3.1 billion in a major green hydrogen and ammonia production facility” in the country.

At this stage, the action consists of “the signing of a framework agreement with Kazakh Invest”, and a plan to build solar and wind generation “with a combined capacity of up to 2 gigawatts”, leading to “up to 75,000 tons of green hydrogen and 310,000 tons of green ammonia” each year.

Power plants, electrolysers and ammonia facilities won’t be the only infrastructure requirements: the project plans envisage “energy storage systems, logistics and water supply networks, and potential integration into Kazakhstan’s heat and power systems” too.

The details now have to follow, on finances, approvals and – of course – “potential partnerships with major offtakers”. On that last point, the expectation is that “most of the output will be exported”, although some might find local usage.

In Malaysia, state oil and gas company Petronas is working with power utility TNB to launch what they call the “Hybrid Hydro Floating Solar (HHFS) and Green Hydrogen Hub” in Terengganu.