Regional Workshop on Renewable Energy in Central Asia

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) initiated a regional consultative process with the countries of Central Asia in 2016 as part of efforts to step up engagement with the region.

At the first round of consultations, held in October in Baku, Azerbaijan, participants discussed challenges and opportunities and identified priority areas for action to develop the region’s renewable energy resources. Following the Baku meeting, IRENA conducted a regional gap analysis study, analysing the main obstacles hindering accelerated deployment, as well as mapping out current and planned programmes by development partners to support the uptake of renewables.

A second round of consultations, the Regional Workshop on Renewable Energy in Central Asia, took place on 26 and 27 April 2017 at IRENA Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Participants discussed the findings of the regional gap analysis study, provided feedback on each country’s needs and priorities in the development of the renewable energy sector, and exchanged views on the key areas of support required for the accelerated deployment of renewables in the region.

View the Meeting Agenda and the Participants List.

The Summary Report of the Regional Workshop on Renewable Energy in Central Asia.

Presentation materials listed below.

Session I: Status and Priorities for Renewable Energy Development

Name of the presentation Name of presenter(s)
Key outcomes of the Gap Analysis: purpose,
methodology, and the drivers & challenges for the
development of renewable energy in the region
Gurbuz Gonul, Senior Programme Officer –
Regions, IRENA
Country presentation - Azerbaijan Nazir Ramazanov, Advisor to Chairman of the
State Agency on Alternative and Renewable
Energy Sources
Country presentation - Kazakhstan Raigul Bulekbayeva, Chief Expert of the
Renewable Energy Department Ministry of
Energy
Country presentation - Kyrgyzstan Kybanych Bekov, Head of the Strategic
Planning from the National Energy Holding
Country presentation - Tajikistan Abdunabi Sharipov, Leading Specialist of
Economics & Forecast Department, Ministry of
Energy and Water Resources

Presentation: Review Progress of Renewable Energy Targets: Achieving SDG7

Name of the presentation Name of presenter(s)
Tracking Progress of Renewable Energy Targets in
Central Asia: Achieving SDG7
Sergey Tulinov, Economic Affairs Officer,
UNESCAP

Session II: Renewable Energy Target Setting and Support Schemes

Name of the presentation Name of presenter(s)
Renewable Energy Target Setting and Support
Schemes
Diala Hawila, Associate Programme Officer –
Policy, IRENA
Setting Renewable Energy Targets….and
achieving them. Insights from the UAE experience
Hannes Reinisch, Partner - Sustainability and
Climate Change , PricewaterhouseCoopers
Renewable Energy Auctions: Driving Falling
Prices
Allen Eisendrath, Global Climate Change Office
Director, USAID

Session III: Costs and Benefits of Renewable Energy

Name of the presentation Name of presenter(s)
Renewables: The True Costs Michael Taylor, Senior Analyst, Renewable
Cost Status and Outlook, IRENA
Renewable Energy Benefits Rabia Ferroukhi, Senior Programme Officer -
Policy Advice, Deputy Director of Knowledge,
Policy and Finance Centre, IRENA
South Africa’s Renewable Energy’s Economic Impact Sake van der Wal, Consul Economic (Dubai),
Department of Trade and Industry

Session IV: Mapping the RE Support in the Region

Name of the presentation Name of presenter(s)
Stakeholder mappings: Main findings of gap
analysis
Katarina Uherova Hasbani, Consultant
UNECE Group of Experts on Renewable Energy Gianluca Sambucini, Economic Affairs Officer,
UNECE
World Bank’s Engagement on Renewable Energy
in Central Asia
Mits Motohashi, Senior Energy Specialist

World Bank Group Energy & Extractives

Session V: Identifying Priority Actions

Name of the presentation Name of presenter(s)
IRENA’s support to build project pipelines Nicolas Fichaux, Programme Officer - Resource Assessment,
IRENA
Renewable Energy Statistics Adrian Whiteman, Senior Programme Officer – Statistics, IRENA
Enabling Frameworks: Renewables Readiness
Assessment
Gurbuz Gonul, Senior Programme Officer –
Regions, IRENA
Long-term capacity expansion planning with
variable renewable power
Daniel Russo, Junior Professional Associate -
Planning for the Global Energy transition,
IRENA
Grid integration of variable renewable sources –
Overcoming technical and operational bottlenecks
Francisco Gafaro, Programme Officer,
Technology Innovation, IRENA

Preparations for the Ministerial Conference and the 8th International Forum “Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Energy”, 11-14 June 2017, Astana, Kazakhstan (IRENA/UNECE)