ASHGABAT (TCA) — The development of a road map on solar energy in Turkmenistan was the focus of an OSCE-supported discussion in Ashgabat on 17 April for officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Institute of Solar Energy of the Academy of Science of Turkmenistan, the State Committee for Environment Protection and Land Resources, professors from the Mary Turkmen State Energy Institute and representatives of other relevant institutions and nature protection public organizations.
Organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in cooperation with the Mary Turkmen State Energy Institute, the event brought participants together to discuss the draft outline of the road map and develop ideas for its future elaboration.
“Today’s roundtable discussion is a very important step towards strengthening a national dialogue and inter-agency communication in the renewable energy sector,” said Ambassador Natalya Drozd, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “While national authorities are taking the lead in the development of the road map, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat stands ready to share best standards and practices from across the OSCE region and provide any other support within its mandate.”
During the roundtable discussion, national experts provided an overview of the development of renewable energy in Turkmenistan and discussed the draft road map from the perspective of government priorities.
The OSCE Centre plans to continue providing support in this area. The support would focus on finalizing the road map and facilitating the dialogue with other OSCE participating States on international technologies and best practices of public-private partnerships in alternative energy projects.
Natural-gas rich Turkmenistan is heavily dependent on its huge hydrocarbon resources to meet the country’s energy consumption and export needs.
