ASHGABAT (TCA) — An OSCE-supported two-day roundtable discussion on the development of renewable energy sector in Turkmenistan took place in Ashgabat from 25 to 26 April.
The event brought together 25 officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the Mejlis (parliament), the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Academy of Science and the State Committee on Statistics of Turkmenistan. Professors from the Mary Turkmen State Energy Institute and representatives of other relevant institutions and nature protection public organizations also participated in the discussion. The aim was to discuss with national stakeholders different scenarios of renewable energy development, which could be further incorporated into the National Strategy on Renewables.
The event was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in co-operation with the USAID Turkmenistan Country Office.
Opening the roundtable discussion, Natalya Drozd, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, referred to the 2013 Ministerial Council decision on improving the environmental footprint of energy-related activities, which called on the OSCE participating States to pursue energy diversification “with a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency, when developing their respective national energy policies”.
“By adopting the National Programme for Energy Saving 2018-2024 and joining the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Turkmenistan reaffirmed its commitment to promoting the development of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency,” said Drozd. “The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat is ready to provide expert advice to further support the development of the National Strategy on Renewables.”
The roundtable discussion was facilitated by international experts from Kazakhstan. They shared efficient strategies and policies in the area of renewable energy and elaborated on the legal, institutional and financial aspects of renewable energy development. They highlighted the role of high technologies for the efficient production and distribution of renewable energy.
The roundtable participants reviewed draft scenarios of renewable energy development from the perspective of the Government’s priorities. They also discussed their subsequent integration into the National Strategy on Renewables.
On 26 April, the Centre also organized a lecture on best practices of efficient energy production and consumption at the International University of Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan (IUOG). The lecture was attended by instructors and students of the IUOG and was broadcast at the Mary Turkmen State Energy Institute and the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communication by means of a video teleconference.
