“Shaping Central Asia’s future energy landscape” conference in Aktau, Kazakhstan for the visit of the travelling exhibition “Energy in Transition – Powering Tomorrow”

Highlighting the transformative potential of renewable energy and green hydrogen, the ‘Shaping Central Asia’s Future Energy Landscape’ conference in Aktau brought together experts to foster regional collaboration and accelerate the shift towards a sustainable energy future.

The travelling exhibition “Energy in Transition – Powering Tomorrow” was officially inaugurated at Yessenov University in Aktau, Kazakhstan, presented by the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Consulate General in Almaty. Open to the public until November 12th, 2024, the exhibition showcases the importance of sustainable energy, the potential of renewable technologies, and the pathways towards a just transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

For the opening of the exhibition the German Consulate in Almaty and the H₂-diplo Office in Astana organized a conference “Shaping Central Asia’s future energy landscape”, which was attended by the Deputy Akim of Mangystau, Abbat Urisbayev, Yessenov University’s Deputy Director Askar Seidaliyev, and other high-level representatives from politics, academia and the industry. While being situated in the Mangystau region, which is Kazakhstan’s hub for fossil fuel production, the location of the conference was ideal to explore the possibilities for a green energy transition across Central Asia. Hereby, the conference agenda focused on fostering connectivity in Central Asia and beyond by leveraging renewable energy and green hydrogen. Key topics include advancements in green hydrogen production, renewable energy technologies, and the regional energy networks linking Central Asia and Europe.

The conference included two main panel discussion sessions addressing key aspects of ener-gy transition and two key note speeches on Hyrasia One and the role of the Quryq Port. The first panel, “Developing Skills for Central Asia’s Energy Future”, focused on the importance of educational programs and training for building the expertise required in the renewable energy sector. This session underlined how collaborations with EU universities can support Kazakh-stan’s drive to develop a skilled workforce in green energy. As an example of Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to build capacity for the renewable energy sector, institutions like the Kazakh-German Institute for Sustainable Engineering (KINI), jointly initiated by the Kazakh-German University (DKU) and Yessenov University (YU), reflected growing collaboration with interna-tional partners. The second session, “Research and Innovations in Green Hydrogen and Re-newables”, presented the latest advancements and identified critical areas where further re-search could accelerate energy transition goals. Experts from both Kazakh and international institutions discussed their research, emphasizing green hydrogen’s transformative potential.

Wolfgang Faust, representing the German Consulate General, concluded the conference by emphasizing the timeliness of it: „Such events are a good opportunity to address the issues that will affect us all in the future, and not just superficially. I believe that this exhibition is a great example of what we have already heard from all the speakers today: the energy transition is important, necessary and still faces a number of challenges, especially in Aktau as a city that is considered the gateway to oil and gas resources.”

To overcome those, the conference served as a valuable platform for dialogue to share knowledge and foster connections that will help shaping a sustainable energy future.

For more news about the H₂-diplo activities, follow us on LinkedIn: H₂-diplo – Decarbonization Diplomacy | LinkedIn

“Shaping Central Asia’s future energy landscape” conference in Aktau, Kazakhstan for the visit of the travelling exhibition “Energy in Transition – Powering Tomorrow”

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