The Netherlands – Journalists from the countries of Central Asia (CA) – winners of the 2020 and 2022 European Union (EU) regional media contests – visited the Netherlands for a week-long study tour on “Renewable energy – state of the art”.

The study tour was organized jointly by two projects “European Union – Central Asia Water, Environment and Climate Change Cooperation (WECOOP)” and “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)”, funded by the European Union, with the aim to share the EU and Dutch experience in implementation of new policies in the renewable energy sector, production of wind energy, bioenergy and green hydrogen, introduction of new nature friendly technologies, as well as development of climate adaptive cities and sustainable buildings.

In May 2022, the EU adopted a new plan – REPowerEU – to fast-forward the green transition and scale up renewable energy. The Netherlands along with other EU countries is taking steps to boost sustainable energy production and find smarter ways of using and saving energy. The Dutch government is to set up a EUR 35 billion climate and transition fund aimed at facilitating the installation of the required energy infrastructure. According to the “Oliver Wyman” research (2022), the Netherlands is leading Europe’s energy transition, while the data from Energy Monitor (2022) puts the Netherlands at the forefront of Europe’s hydrogen race with the highest subsidies.

Addressing the participants, Mr Valts Vilnitis, WECOOP Team Leader, stated: “Welcome to the Netherlands! This study tour is your well-deserved prize, and it is a great pleasure for us to see you here. On behalf of the EU’s WECOOP Project and the fellow SECCA Project, let me say thank you for your work and dedication to matters of environmental protection. I hope this study tour will give you many new insights and inspiration for your further research and reporting on green economy, climate action, and, of course, switching to sustainable energy sources”.

8 journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan participated in this study tour and visited the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate of the Netherlands, Windpark Groen and House of the Province in Flevoland, GIGA Storage energy company, Green Village in Delft, Port of Rotterdam, SolarEis project in Apeldoorn, and Amsterdam Waste Energy Company.

Background: The EU-funded project “European Union – Central Asia Water, Environment and Climate Change Cooperation (WECOOP)” (third phase from October 2019 to April 2023) aims to enhance environment, climate change and water policies at national levels in Central Asia through approximation to the EU standards and to promote investments in relevant sectors with the aim of contributing to measurable reductions in man-made pollution, including CO2 emission. The project activities include support to the EU–CA Platform for Environment and Water Cooperation and its Working Group on Environment and Climate Change, as well as implementation of the EU Green Deal’s international dimension in Central Asia to advance climate action.

The EU-funded project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)” (from March 2022 to March 2026) aims to promote a sustainable energy mix in the Central Asia region in line with EU best practices. The project activities include capacity development for energy efficience (EE) and renewable energy (RE) deployment, awareness raising on EE and RE, and improving investment climate for EE and RE projects.

For additional information, please contact Mrs Yelena Serebrennikova, Senior Communication Expert, WECOOP and SECCA, e-mail: media@wecoop.eu, mobile/WhatsApp +77019814020, Mrs Nurgul Smagulova-Dulic, Digital Communication Expert, WECOOP and SECCA, e-mail: nurgul.smagulova@wecoop.eu, WhatsApp: +77012066760, or the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan: delegation-kazakhstan-pic@eeas.europa.eu.

Study tour video (in English and Russian):

Samarkand, Uzbekistan – The European Union (EU) has launched the new project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia” (SECCA) at a roundtable dedicated to the EU–Central Asia Connectivity Conference “Global Gateway for Sustainable Development”. National energy authorities and experts from the Central Asian countries  (CA) and representatives of the EU attended this event.

The SECCA project, with a total budget of EUR 6.8 million, aims to promote a more sustainable energy balance in CA in accordance with EU best practices.

In particular, the project seeks to strengthen national policies of transition to a sustainable energy system, and increase investment, capacity and awareness in renewable energy and energy efficiency  in the region. Recent developments indicate positive signs of a possible sustainable energy connectivity in CA. It is expected that as a result of economic growth and population growth in the region, the demand for electricity will increase. To meet this demand, significant investments, market reforms and capacity development will be required.

Addressing the participants of the roundtable, Ms Marjeta Jager, Deputy Director-General in INTPA, European Commision, stated: “This project is guided by the European Green Deal and new EU Strategy on Central Asia. The latter, in particular, commits to building upon the region’s potential in solar, wind and hydroelectric energy in order to contribute to strengthening the region’s energy resilience, helping to meet its climate objectives, and creating jobs and business opportunities. Currently, the region’s significant sustainable energy potential is underutilised due to multiple institutional, financial, technical and social barriers. The SECCA project will serve as a catalyst in addressing these barriers and boosting the renewable energy production and improvement of energy efficiency in the region.”

Moreover, The SECCA project will mainstream gender by supporting gender inclusive policies and legislation both for energy efficiency and renewable energy and promoting the role of women in the sector.

During the roundtable, the project experts presented the objectives of SECCA, the planned activities and the expected results. The participants discussed the current status and challenges in the sustainable energy sector and cooperation between the EU and CA.

Background: The EU-funded project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)” (2022-2026) aims to promote a sustainable energy mix in the Central Asia region in line with EU best practices. The project activities include capacity development for energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) deployment, awareness raising on EE and RE, and improving investment climate for EE and RE projects. Through this project, the EU will further assist in the effective tackling of climate change issues. The SECCA will complement the EU’s 15 regional initiatives in environment, biodiversity, climate change, disaster risk reduction, water, and sustainable energy, as well as 20 EU bilateral cooperation projects with Central Asian countries.

For additional information, please contact Mrs Yelena Serebrennikova, Senior Communication Expert, SECCA, e-mail: media@secca.eu, mobile/WhatsApp +77019814020, Mrs Nurgul Smagulova-Dulic, Digital Communication Expert, SECCA, e-mail: nurgul.smagulova@secca.eu, WhatsApp: +77012066760, or the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan: delegation-kazakhstan-pic@eeas.europa.eu.