Fossil-Fuel Rich UAE Drives Central Asia’s Green Energy Transition
Central Asian nations, especially Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are seeking to develop closer ties with the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. What they need from the Gulf state is not fossil fuels, but renewable energy technology and investment in their green energy sectors. Despite being a significant oil-exporter, the UAE has managed in recent years to position itself as a regional leader in solar energy and photovoltaic solar projects. As a result, it now has global aspirations in the renewable energy industry. The Gulf country, through its semi-government-owned company, Masdar, has already invested billions of dollars in the construction of wind farms and solar plants all over the world – from the Bahamas and Barbados to Australia, as well as several African and European nations. Central Asia is no exception. In the region, the green energy giant is particularly active in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. It is, therefore, no surprise that, on January 14, two regional leaders, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, were major guests at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, a global platform focused on accelerating sustainability efforts. [caption id="attachment_27597" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] President Tokayev of Kazakhstan speaking at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week; image: TCA, Nikola Mikovic[/caption] Their visit to the UAE signals a strong push for a green energy transition at home. For Tashkent and Astana, cooperation with Abu Dhabi in the field of green energy can help them to achieve their ambitious goals and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, despite both being significant producers of natural gas and oil. “Together with our foreign partners, we are currently implementing more than 50 large energy projects worth a total of $26 billion,” Mirziyoyev stressed, pointing out that by 2030, the share of renewable energy sources in the country will reach 54%. [caption id="attachment_27593" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev backstage at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week; image: TCA, Nikola Mikovic[/caption] In his view, Central Asia should turn into a “center of green economy.” The Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, seems to share this stance. “Central Asia can play a stronger and leading role in the global energy transition. I’m confident this new partnership can accelerate the pipeline of renewable energy projects and drive green industrialization,” La Camera said at the 15th session of the IRENA Assembly, held in the UAE capital two days prior to the meetings Mirziyoyev and Tokayev had with the UAE’s leaders. According to the Uzbek President, Tashkent is interested in jointly realizing the potential of Central Asia in solar, wind, and hydro energy, as well as in developing the production of green hydrogen. Fully aware of the Central Asian state’s green energy potential, Masdar is committed to investing $2 billion in Tashkent’s clean energy projects with a total capacity of more than two gigawatts. In the most populated Central Asian nation, the UAE’s semi-state-owned company is already involved in the construction of both solar plants and wind farms. [caption id="attachment_27594" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Abdulaziz Alobaidli, Masdar’s Chief Operating Officer, at the Abu...
