JOINT CONFERENCE OF THE EU AND TURKMENISTAN WAS HELD IN ASHGABAT ON GREEN ENERGY, HYDROGEN AND METHANE EMISSIONS

A joint European Union -Turkmenistan Conference on Green Energy and EU Hydrogen and Methane Emissions Reduction Strategies took place in Ashgabat on 22 - 23 November 2022.  

Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan and the European Union Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Diego Ruiz Alonso, opened the conference in hybrid format.

Kadri Simson, Commissioner for Energy of the European Commission, and Clara de la Torre, Acting Director General of the Directorate General for Climate Action of the European Commission provided opening statements by video. The conference was attended by scientists and experts from Turkmenistan and the European Union in the field of green energy, hydrogen and methane emissions.

Presentations were made by representatives of the International Energy Agency, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Global Methane Initiative, Hydrogen Europe, the German Ambassador to Turkmenistan, State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan, Natural Gas research Institute of Turkmengas State Concern, International University of Oil and Gas named after Y. Kakayev are amongst others.

The European Union representatives in their speeches presented the main policy directions in the field of renewable energy and perspectives of their development, shared their experience in the international and regional cooperation in the field of renewable energy and ways for implementation of renewable energy sources. They presented the EU strategies on the use of hydrogen and reduction of methane emissions and invited Turkmenistan to join respective international initiatives.

Experts of Turkmenistan reported about the use of renewable energy in the country, the Roadmap for international cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy for 2022-2023, and to create a highly productive export-oriented sector of hydrogen energy in Turkmenistan. In addition, they talked about the use of modern environment friendly resource saving technologies, notably in the oil and gas, energy and transport sectors.

During the Conference, participants from the EU and Turkmenistan exchanged experiences and discussed perspectives for further cooperation in the field of renewable energy, use of renewable hydrogen and reduction of methane emissions. The parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in a way that promotes mutual interests.

Both sides discussed a wide range of issues related to renewable energy, including the development of renewable energy legislation, renewable energy investments and innovative technologies and perspectives of using hydrogen.

The EU and Turkmenistan agreed to continue dialogue on the key topics discussed with a view to identifying concrete options for cooperation.