Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – The European Union-funded project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)” held a Closing Roundtable in the Kyrgyz Republic to report on key achievements and discuss future cooperation in sustainable energy. Held at the National Historical Museum, the event brought together key stakeholders: representatives of the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic, financial institutions, and private sector.

Implemented from March 2022 to May 2026, SECCA has supported the Kyrgyz Republic in advancing its sustainable energy transition in line with EU best practices. The project contributed to strengthening the legal and regulatory framework, enhancing institutional capacities for energy governance and planning, and promoting investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It also fostered regional dialogue and cooperation.

During the Roundtable, SECCA experts presented the main results achieved at national and regional levels, as well as lessons learned and best practices that can be applied more widely. Discussion also focused on indicative plans for the further development of topics identified during the SECCA implementation, such as integrated energy and climate planning, enforcement of energy efficiency (EE) in buildings, including through the ESCO model, promoting investments in EE and small-scale renewables, as well as increased capacity for efective participation in the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

The event reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the Kyrgyz Republic’s green transition and continuing collaborative actions within the framework of ongoing EU-funded initiatives.

On the 2026 International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated under the theme “From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap,” the European Union-funded project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)” is pleased to announce publication of its latest report

This study provides an in-depth look at present gender considerations in national energy and green transition policies, access to electricity and clean fuels, girls’ education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and women’s employment in the energy sector across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

This report builds on five national gender assessments conducted in 2024 and, despite national specificities, reveals several common features and trends:

• Gender-disaggregated data in the energy sector remain largely unavailable, making it difficult to track inequalities and progress effectively and comprehensively.
• In the energy policy field, references to gender equality and/or social inclusion remain limited. While the Ministries of Energy in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have recently established a Gender Committee and a Gender Council respectively, very little information is available on their actual scope of work and impacts to date.
• The countries in the region have generally achieved widespread electrification. However, reliable and affordable energy access, especially in rural areas, remains uneven. In this regard, due to the nature of the roles and tasks that they are socially expected to perform, women generally remain particularly impacted by the constraints and challenges posed by insufficient and unreliable energy access.
• The share of girls in STEM-related studies is still lower than that of boys. Current estimates from Kazakhstan indicate that, at best, girls account for 45% of STEM graduates. In Uzbekistan, the share of girls in STEM is increasing promisingly.
• Women are underrepresented in the energy sector and on average account for only around 16% of the workforce in the industry regionally. In the renewables sector, women’s employment is estimated to be higher than in the traditional energy sector in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. On the other hand, in Kazakhstan, renewable energies are estimated to employ fewer women compared to the traditional energy sector, whereas no notable difference was identified in Turkmenistan.
• Persisting institutional and cultural barriers and stereotypes continue to limit girls’ awareness about and interest in education and careers in STEM and energy sectors. This also hinders women’s access to, retention and progression within the energy sector workforce, with potential negative repercussions on the viability and sustainability of the energy transition.

At the same time, by combining regional analysis with country-specific insights, the report identifies promising practices and entry points for strengthening gender-responsive energy policies and programmes. Examples of such practices include establishing gender councils and boards, adopting gender equality roadmaps, targets, and principles, implementing STEM for Girls initiatives, dedicated MBA, mentoring and scholarship programmes for women in energy. If effectively applied and scaled up regionally, these initiatives have the potential to make the energy sector significantly more inclusive, just, and gender-equal.

The report findings underscore that a successful energy transition cannot be achieved without fully engaging the talents and perspectives of all members of society, including women. It calls for stronger institutional capacity and targeted measures to promote women’s equal participation in education, employment, and decision-making.

This report was prepared under coordination of SECCA gender specialist Silvia Sartori and national gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) analysts Raigul Bulekbayeva (Kazakhstan), Azhar Boobekova (Kyrgyzstan), Nasrullo Naimov (Tajikistan), Jemal Durdykova (Turkmenistan), and Iroda Chilek (Uzbekistan), and is dedicated to the memory of Raigul Bulekbayeva.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – On 10 February 2026, the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, jointly with the EU-funded SECCA project, held a Technical Meeting of the Inter-Institutional Working Group (IIWG) on ESCO to review a package of draft regulatory documents developed with SECCA’s technical assistance to advance the ESCO market and strengthen energy efficiency policies and practices in Kyrgyzstan.

During the meeting, SECCA experts presented:

1. A Temporary Regulation on the implementation of a pilot ESCO project in government institutions of Kyrgyzstan
2. A Model Energy Performance Contract
3. A Methodology for measuring and verifying energy savings
4. A Justification for launching a pilot project at the initial stage as a practical alternative to immediate large-scale legislative reform of the ESCO framework.

The discussion focused on the practical application of the proposed regulatory package, which aims to establish a sustainable ESCO market in the country. Participants also exchanged views on institutional roles, implementation mechanisms, and next steps.

The meeting additionally included a presentation of the results of SECCA’s work on elements of national energy planning, specifically the modelling of Kyrgyzstan’s power system development for the period 2024-2040, conducted as part of the project’s regional energy modelling initiative.

Almaty, Kazakhstan – The Second Regional Workshop on Elements of Country Energy Planning took place on 4-5 February 2026 as part of Phase II of the EU-funded SECCA project’s energy modelling initiative. The event brought together members of the Regional Group on Energy Modelling and project national coordinators. They reviewed results achieved so far during Phase II and discussed approaches to regional cooperation in energy planning.

On the first day of the workshop, country teams presented their modelling exercises, shared key findings and insights. On the second day, a dedicated session led by Rocco De Miglio, SECCA Workstream Lead on Energy Modelling, focused on the concept of “regional connectivity” in the context of energy planning.

“Regional connectivity should be understood as a comprehensive process based on shared data, common understanding, and aligned approaches, rather than being limited to exchanges of power or other tangible assets,” says Rocco. “It involves the alignment of policy objectives, sharing of methodologies and insights, and adoption of a common perspective.”

This workshop formed part of SECCA’s ongoing efforts to promote regional collaboration and knowledge sharing, as well as to improve local systems thinking and knowledge (data) based decision making in the energy and climate sectors.

Astana, Kazakhstan – SECCA project experts continue their work on developing a new systemic approach to improving energy efficiency in the public sector of Kazakhstan.

As part of this work, SECCA experts, together with specialists from the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Institute for the Development of Electric Power and Energy Efficiency, carried out on-site energy audits at two secondary public schools in Astana – School No. 20 and School No. 29.

This activity is being implemented within the framework of a proposed new 10-step approach aimed at more effective use of data from the State Energy Register and at conducting in-depth analysis of public sector facilities prioritised in terms of energy efficiency improvement.

At the first stage, a methodology for prioritising public institutions included in the State Energy Register was developed and piloted. This methodology enables the step-by-step selection of facilities for further detailed monitoring and on-site energy audits.

At the second stage, following a preliminary analysis of all available data for the selected schools and the preparation of baseline analytical materials, on-site energy audits were conducted. These audits focused on collecting additional data, taking measurements, and visually assessing the condition of buildings and engineering systems. Based on the audit results, the necessary calculations will be carried out for each school, and draft energy audit reports will be prepared.

Looking ahead, the project proposes establishing a sustainable and scalable mechanism for the systematic selection, data analysis, and implementation of energy audits for public sector facilities with the highest potential for energy efficiency improvements.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – Zhaksylyk Tokayev, energy and climate expert, and SECCA project’s National Coordinator in Kazakhstan, took part in a podcast episode hosted by Nurzat Abdyrasulova, President of UNISON Group. The podcast is dedicated to energy efficiency (EE) and sustainable energy development.

The discussion focused on Kazakhstan’s experience in developing its energy sector and advancing energy transition. The host and the guest discussed key trends in Kazakhstan’s sustainable energy sector, including the development of renewable energy (RE) , deployment of small-scale RE projects, improvement of EE in buildings, tariff policy, and so on. Special attention was given to policy instruments, regulatory frameworks, and practical tools such as energy audits and building energy performance certification. The exchange also highlighted differences and similarities between the approaches used in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

This podcast episode serves as a valuable example of regional knowledge exchange and dialogue between experts from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Watch the full episode here (in Russian):

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – The Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan has approved the “Recommendations on the Calculation and Analysis of Technological Consumption of Electricity for Transmission through the Electric Networks of the Power System of Turkmenistan”. The document was developed in accordance with the Law of Turkmenistan “On Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency” with the support of the European Union-funded SECCA project.

The Recommendations establish a unified approach to determining, calculating, and analysing technological losses of electrical energy during its transmission. The document provides a detailed description of key concepts, the structure of losses, as well as methods for their calculation for electric networks of various voltage classes.

The calculation results obtained under these Recommendations will be used to prepare reporting data on technological electricity losses, applied in loss planning, identifying network elements with increased losses, and developing measures to reduce them.

The implementation of these Recommendations contributes to greater transparency in electricity metering, reduced inefficient expenditures, and enhanced reliability of the operation of Turkmenistan’s power system.

Overall, within the framework of the SECCA project work in Turkmenistan, five regulatory documents have been developed. All of them have been approved by the Ministry of Energy and put into effect. Currently, in close cooperation with national experts, work is underway on the preparation of two additional documents aimed at further strengthening the regulatory framework for the sustainable development of the country’s energy sector.

Astana, Kazakhstan – At the request of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Institute for the Development of Electric Power and Energy Saving, the European Union-funded SECCA project conducted a four-day practical training on energy audits of public buildings.

Held on 8-11 December 2025, the training built on SECCA’s earlier support to the national partners in developing a new business process aimed at more in-depth analysis and monitoring of energy consumption in public sector buildings, ensuring the sustainability of the newly introduced approach.

Participants received an introduction to energy audits, along with detailed explanations and practical examples of building energy efficiency assessment methods. SECCA experts guided the participants through key technical topics, including the specifics of auditing schools, hospitals, kindergartens and administrative buildings, as well as data collection, analysis, and reporting.

The event programme also covered energy efficiency indicators, the fundamentals of thermal engineering calculations and methods for assessing the environmental effects of energy efficiency measures. By the end of the training, participants had strengthened their practical skills in conducting energy audits, interpreting audit results and preparing professional reports for more effective energy management and improved energy efficiency in Kazakhstan’s public building stock.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – On 5 December 2025, SECCA project experts held a series of technical meetings with representatives of relevant organisations in the Kyrgyz Republic on the topic: “Improving the Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings: Approaches and Recommendations. Implementation of ISO 50001 at the National Level in Kazakhstan”.

During the meetings, SECCA national coordinator in Kazakhstan Zhaxylyk Tokayev presented a new approach being developed within the project for working with data on public buildings. The core idea of this approach is the following: the SECCA project, together with the Electric Power and Energy Saving Development Institute of Kazakhstan, conducted an analysis of the current state of data management in the public building sector and proposed a comprehensive 10-step methodology aimed at more effective use of the State Energy Register and the subsequent in-depth analysis of priority facilities from an energy-efficiency standpoint.

One of the key components of this methodology is a system for prioritiыing entities listed in the State Energy Register that are public institutions, enabling their phased selection for in-depth monitoring and on-site energy audits.

The proposal essentially establishes a systematic selection mechanism that takes into account both the large volume of data and the high number of facilities. At present, more than 24,000 public and quasi-public sector entities are registered in Kazakhstan, making it practically impossible to conduct energy audits for all facilities at once. In this context, the developed methodology uses a set of seven indicators that can be digitised and used to rank facilities by priority. In addition, a verification questionnaire has been created to minimise risks associated with human error during data entry and to ensure a more complete and accurate picture of each facility.

The purpose of presenting this approach was to share experience, demonstrate SECCA’s practical work, and help promote a more structured and systematic way of working with the public sector.

It is important to note that in all five beneficiary countries of the project, social and public buildings are fully funded by the state budget, making energy efficiency measures in this sector strategically important.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – On 3 December 2025, the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic hosted the Third Meeting of the Inter-Institutional Working Group (IIWG) on ESCO and EPC quality assurance. The IIWG was established by the Ministry of Energy to strengthen energy efficiency (EE) services market and building energy performance certification standards. The event brought together members of the IIWG and the SECCA project experts.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Talgat Asan uulu, Head of the Renewable Energy Development Department of the Ministry of Energy, and Paata Janelidze, SECCA Team Leader.

The first technical presentation delivered by SECCA experts Nicolae Zaharia and Maratbek Cholponkulov offered a legal overview of the current regulatory framework and highlighted the potential for implementing ESCO mechanisms in Kyrgyzstan. This analysis outlined existing regulatory gaps and provided recommendations to support the emergence of an ESCO market, as one of the key tools to achieve sustainable energy-saving in Kyrgyzstan.

Then, SECCA experts Gulsara Kasymova and Mirgul Aidarova detailed the draft Regulation on monitoring and quality control of completed work on energy certification of buildings. This draft Regulation has been developed in accordance with the national Laws “On Energy Saving” and “On Energy Efficiency of Buildings”, and defines conditions and procedure for conducting quality control of building energy performance certificates in Kyrgyzstan. The presentation underscored the importance of robust quality assurance mechanisms to ensure transparency, trust, and standardisation in the country’s EE sector.

The meeting concluded with an open discussion, during which participants exchanged views on the next steps required to support development and operation of ESCOs and enhance energy certification practices in Kyrgyzstan.