Welcome to the European Union Support to Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA) Project website!

Energy plays an important role in driving economic and social development, and is one of the key solutions to tackle climate change. 

Pursuant to the European Green Deal, the European Union Strategy on Central Asia, and the Global Gateway Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change in Central Asia, the European Union (EU) is committed to support the countries of Central Asia (CA) in their current energy transition efforts by building upon the region’s potential in renewable energy (RE) and capability for improving energy efficiency (EE), as well as promoting sustainable  energy connectivity in the region.

The EU aims to contribute to strengthening the region’s energy resilience, improving the level of energy security, ensuring energy independence, helping to meet its climate objectives, and creating new jobs and business opportunities. The EU and CA countries work together to build synergies for the sustainable energy sector and make the CA region a stronger player on the global scene.

In March 2022, the EU launched a four-year project “The EU Support to Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)”.

Project mission

The mission of the SECCA Project is to promote a more sustainable energy mix in the Central Asia region in line with EU best practices. 

Project objective

The SECCA project aims to strengthen and enhance a more inclusive policy, regulatory and institutional framework for the transition to a sustainable energy system within a regional context and focuses on contributing to the fulfilment of international human rights commitments in the CA countries, including equal access to energy and supporting gender-responsive policies and legislation for EE and RE deployment.

Areas for consultations and cooperation

• Development of RE and improvement of EE
• Regional cooperation in the field of sustainable energy
• Promotion and integration of gender- and rights-based considerations into energy policy and targeted energy programmes.

Activities

• Facilitate high-level discussions between EU and CA representatives on EE and RE
• Support in development of gender-responsive EE and RE policies
• Support in development of National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) and National Energy Efficiency Action Plans (NEEAPs), or National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs)
• Support in improvement of investment climate and development of replicable pilot EE and RE investment projects
• Capacity building for management of energy data, information and modelling, and awareness raising for EE and RE deployment.

Expected results

• Strengthened public capacities for governance, strategy development, gender-responsive policy design and regulatory framework for EE and RE deployment
• Raised public awareness on accessibility and benefits of sustainable energy and EE and RE technologies
• Strengthened capacities for management of energy data, information and modelling
• Enhanced identification of EE and RE investment projects and accessibility of the most appropriate technologies and innovative financing mechanisms, taking into account equal opportunities, and fair and effective participation of women.

The SECCA project is funded by the European Union and implemented by a consortium led by Stantec sa/nv with Intec-GOPA International Energy Consultants, ACTED, and the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) – Energy, as consortium partners.