Maxim Titov, Director of the ENERPO Research Center, opened the seminar, welcoming the participants and presenting the main objectives and scope of the issues to be discussed. The first seminar, organized by ENERPO in April 2025, focused primarily on Russia's interactions with Central Asian countries in the areas of energy policy and energy transition. This time, participants were invited to discuss the energy strategies, challenges, and development prospects of the five Central Asian countries, as well as interactions with external players such as the European Union, China, and Russia.
In her presentation, Tatyana Vedeneva (President of the Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Development, Kyrgyz Republic) used Kyrgyzstan's energy policy as an example. She addressed a wide range of issues: legal and regulatory frameworks, particularly strategic documents; the gap between electricity demand from a growing population and the actual generation capacity in the country; and power plants currently in operation, planned for commissioning, and planned for construction.
Kyrgyzstan is currently modernizing old hydroelectric power plants and implementing new construction projects, including the ongoing construction of the largest hydroelectric power plant, the Kambar-Ata-1. International institutions are actively involved in these ongoing projects, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Eurasian Development Bank, the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development, the European Investment Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Kyrgyzstan is also signing investment agreements with companies from other countries: Turkey, Vietnam, and China were represented during the presentation. The World Bank's REMIT program was also discussed: according to it, a common Central Asian electricity market should be created within 10 years, the system's capacity should be expanded, and a significant integration of renewable energy sources is planned. Kyrgyzstan is implementing its concept of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, relying on both domestic funding sources and the participation of international development partners.
Ainur Sospanova (Board Member, Chairperson of the Board of the Qazaq Green Renewable Energy Association, Republic of Kazakhstan) presented a report on Kazakhstan's energy transition strategy. Ainur analyzed a number of government documents, discussing mechanisms for achieving carbon neutrality. Auctions for the construction of renewable energy facilities are particularly noteworthy: thanks to a two-stage risk-hedging system for investors, they attract a large number of participants, thereby ensuring record-low electricity tariffs. Kazakhstan also has a national emissions trading system, and in the coming years, this system can be expected to develop into a fully-fledged market mechanism. At the same time, Kazakhstan plans to modernize old coal-fired power plants and build new ones—this will help ensure energy security in the face of growing energy consumption. The emergence of new consumers is particularly important in the context of Kazakhstan's development of the digital sector: data centers and electric vehicles are among these new consumers.
Kazakhstan is actively concluding intergovernmental agreements for the construction of large-scale renewable energy projects, particularly with companies from France, the UAE, and China. International financial institutions, including the EBRD and the Asian Development Bank, are participating in the project to connect western and central Kazakhstan.
Furugzod Usmonov (Deputy Chair of the UNECE Working Group on Clean Electricity Grids, Tajikistan) spoke about Tajikistan's potential for energy transition. Due to its geographical location, Tajikistan is focusing on the development of hydroelectric power plants: new hydroelectric power plants are being built and Soviet-era facilities are being modernized. Among the strategically important projects, the commissioning of the CASA-1000 high-voltage transmission line in 2027 is highlighted. It will connect electricity exporters Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan with consumers in Pakistan.
International actors are actively involved in Tajikistan's energy transition: Chinese companies are participating in renewable energy development, and individual projects are being financed by institutions such as the World Bank, the EBRD, and the European Investment Bank. An example of Russia's participation in Tajikistan's hydroelectric sector is the Sangtuda-1 Hydroelectric Power Station.
Tajikistan is placing significant emphasis on institutional reforms. The recent split of the existing energy monopoly into companies engaged in generation, transmission, and distribution, respectively, was noted, and efforts are currently underway to establish an independent operator. Reducing electricity losses is of great importance; the current goal is to reduce losses to 10%. The speaker noted a potential conflict between strategic goals: Tajikistan intends to phase out coal-fired generation by 2037, but to meet economic needs, it plans to significantly increase coal production in the coming decades.
It is noteworthy that Tajikistan, an importer of oil and petroleum products, currently leads other Central Asian countries in the number of electric vehicles: 6% of the vehicle fleet is already electric.
Maria Stepanova (independent expert, Kazakhstan) conducted a comparative analysis of two energy transition policy models presented in Central Asia, examining in detail the approaches of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Both countries had similar initial conditions – the dominance of gas-fired generation in the energy mix and reliance on the Soviet legacy of infrastructure. Uzbekistan is currently pursuing an active energy and climate reform policy: These include institutional changes aimed at attracting private investment to address the energy deficit, large-scale development of renewable energy sources, construction of nuclear power plants, the implementation of a green taxonomy, and the creation of a specialized agency. Turkmenistan, by contrast, adheres to a conservative model focused on the production and export of natural gas. The state subsidizes domestic tariffs, thereby limiting market incentives for increased energy efficiency, and renewable energy development remains largely nominal. More proactive measures, including those involving international actors, are being implemented to reduce methane emissions and modernize infrastructure.
Maria focused specifically on the role of external players – Russia, the EU, and the US – in the markets of both countries. While Turkmenistan attracts foreign investors primarily due to its potential for developing gas fields and logistical support for export flows, Uzbekistan demonstrates a wide range of participation formats: the EU is actively involved in greening the economy, the US is focusing on developing regional integration, and Russian companies are involved, for example, in the construction of nuclear power plants.
Irina Mironova concluded the seminar with a presentation titled "China and the Energy Transition." She presented both the results of China's efforts to develop a national green economy and its role in developing renewable energy in Central Asia. China serves as a model for organizing the energy transition for regional powers and developing economies. China has succeeded in diversifying its energy mix, ensuring that clean energy accounts for 51% of the country's installed capacity by 2025 while simultaneously developing coal projects. Thus, the country is simultaneously developing renewable energy technologies and ensuring a secure energy supply. At the same time, China plays several roles in the Central Asian region: it is a major investor, a supplier of new technologies, and a manufacturing hub. Thus, China is becoming a benchmark not only for the countries of the region themselves, but also for external players seeking a presence in this market.