Kazakhstan PM orders gas and coal generation for mining centers

September 15, 2026 at 11:17 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the Energy Ministry and the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development to work out a mechanism for using gas and coal generation to power mining centers. The order was given at a government meeting on the development of the digital assets industry. Kazakhstan ranked among the top 10 countries in global bitcoin mining share in 2025.

Key Facts

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov ordered the Energy Ministry and the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development to work out a mechanism for using gas and coal generation to power mining centers.
Deputy Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Gizzat Baitursynov said associated petroleum gas and coal mine methane will be offered to investors for power plants serving mining farms.
Kazakhstan ranked among the top 10 countries in global bitcoin mining share in 2025, according to international research cited by the government press service.
On July 7, 2026, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on stimulating and developing the digital assets industry.
The government previously proposed exempting citizens from individual income tax on digital asset transactions for three years, applying to deals through Kazakh providers.

Government Directive

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov stated the need to form a full-fledged digital assets industry including exchanges, digital financial instruments, tokenization and asset storage services, and payment solutions. He instructed the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, together with the Blockchain and Mining Association and interested state bodies, to develop additional measures for the industry's further development. Bektenov said state policy should shift from quantitative growth of mining capacity to a higher-quality model with energy consumption control, transparent taxation, and integration into the global digital economy.

Associated Gas and Coal Methane

Deputy Minister Gizzat Baitursynov said unused associated petroleum gas can be used directly at oil fields to produce electricity for bitcoin mining. A mechanism developed with the Energy Ministry allows a miner to agree with a subsoil user to install an autonomous power plant directly at the field, without adding load to the unified electricity system. The same approach is being considered for coal mine methane at coal deposits. In July, the government approved a strategic digital mining mechanism under which an investor brings equipment and builds a data center, buying electricity directly from power plants.