Energy Cooperation Between Germany and Kazakhstan (1991–2024): From Commodity Dependence to a «green» Transition

The paper analyzes the energy cooperation between Germany and Kazakhstan, which has been developing since 1991 and represents a unique example of transformation of bilateral relations from raw material dependence to a comprehensive partnership in the global energy transition. In the first years of Kazakhstan’s independence, oil and gas projects and uranium supplies supported by German investments and technologies were the basis of cooperation. In the 2000s, the focus shifted to logistics: the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) played a key role, ensuring Kazakhstan’s oil exports to Europe. However, by the 2010s, against the backdrop of the EU’s growing climate ambitions, cooperation was complemented by renewable energy projects, from solar plants in Zhambyl Oblast to institutional initiatives such as the Green Bridge. In the 2020s, the partnership reached a new level: Germany’s declared rejection of Russian energy and the course towards decarbonization increased interest in Kazakhstan as a supplier of «green» hydrogen and rare earth metals. Building on institutions like the Kazakhstan-German Energy Consortium, the countries are combining economic interests with the climate agenda to form a model of interaction between the EU and Central Asia in an era of energy transformation.