At the conference “The Future of Clean Energy for Central Asia” held in Brussels on Tuesday, the rich potential of Turkmenistan in the formation of clean energy was presented.  Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Belgium Sapar Palvanov spoke on this topic at the meeting.

 Turkmenistan, using its rich solar resources and natural gas reserves, is determined to play an important role in shaping a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future, the ambassador noted in his speech.

— Our country plans to achieve zero growth in greenhouse gas emissions in the medium term, starting from 2030, and significantly reduce emissions year-on-year in the long term, - Sapar Palvanov said.

 Palvanov also noted that in recent years, Turkmenistan has been steadily reducing the carbon intensity of its products.  Turkmenistan’s National Climate Change Strategy includes guidelines for developing measures to reduce methane emissions from the extraction, transportation and distribution of natural gas.  These efforts and practical steps of Turkmenistan are carried out in cooperation with international institutions and foreign partners.

 This area, which has not yet been fully explored, offers great opportunities for foreign investors, the diplomat emphasized.

— As an energy power state, Turkmenistan does not deviate from the issue of mitigating the negative impact on the climate of production, transportation and use of energy resources.  We are committed to promoting a green transformation as we recognize that the future of humanity depends on clean and sustainable energy, - the Ambassador continued.

Speaking about the scale of potential projects in Turkmenistan, Palvanov said that there are about 300 sunny days in the country every year, and the duration of sunny days reaches 2500-3000 hours, which provides a unique opportunity to use solar energy.

 Equally important, Turkmenistan is home to the Karakum desert, whose sands contain silicon, a semiconductor material that can absorb sunlight and convert it into electrical energy.  This favorably positions our country for the production of solar panels and the development of solar photovoltaic energy.

 Turkmenistan is building a combined solar and wind power plant with a total capacity of 10 MW. Also, the Turkmenenergo Corporation has planned the construction of solar power plants with a capacity of more than 6 MW in remote settlements of the country.

 As the fourth largest owner of natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan is in a strategic position for the development of hydrogen energy. Over 68% of hydrogen production comes from natural gas, making it the most cost-effective method.

 In order to fully unlock the potential of hydrogen energy, Turkmenistan is preparing to create an industry infrastructure, including the organization of industrial production, storage and transport networks. The roadmap of Turkmenistan for the development of international cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy for 2022-2023 provides for a number of comprehensive measures and practical steps to attract foreign investment in this area.

 During the conference, Sapar Palvanov also made a presentation of the new city of Arkadag, which embodies the concept of a “smart city” and adheres to an environmental approach at every stage, from the production of building materials to the operation of facilities.