Central Asian countries have natural advantages in traditional energy and new energy. Kazakhstan is rich in oil, Turkmenistan is rich in natural gas, and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are rich in water resources and photovoltaic resources. Each country complements each other's advantages and can jointly build a dynamic market of multi-party cooperation and diversified cooperation.
Parviz Atoyev, Director of the International Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan, said that Tajikistan is rich in hydropower resources. Currently, the Rogun hydropower station with a design installed capacity of 3780 MW is still under construction. Up to now, the total power generation of the two units that have been shut down for power generation has exceeded 5 billion kWh. Tajikistan will continue to be committed to the development of green energy and actively cooperate with countries in the region in the field of electricity and energy. At the same time, the export of green energy to Central Asian countries will be further expanded. At present, 3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity has been exported to Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
Parviz Atoyev said that the interconnection project between Tajikistan's power grid and the Central Asian unified power grid is progressing very smoothly. After completion, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan can export 13 million kilowatt-hours of green energy through Pakistan to Afghanistan every year. In the area of hydropower development, Tajikistan has achieved rapid construction and quite gratifying achievements. For example, a joint-stock enterprise was jointly established with Uzbekistan, which is mainly used for the construction and operation and maintenance of the hydropower station in the upper reaches of the Zelavshan River.
Parviz Atoyev pointed out that, as a country rich in hydropower resources, the melting rate of glaciers in Tajikistan is accelerating due to the impact of global climate change. In order to adapt to the new normal of climate change, Tajikistan plans to vigorously develop renewable energy. It is expected that by 2030, the energy generated by electric energy will be no less than 700 megawatts. It is hoped to learn from China's advanced technology and experience in electric energy.
Parviz Atoyev said that he was willing to further cooperate with China and countries in Central Asia in the field of energy, expand the production and import of downstream oil and gas products, and increase the added value of these products. At present, Line D of the China-Central Asia Natural Gas Pipeline is under construction, with a total length of 966 kilometers, and passes through five countries - Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. "We believe that the implementation of the above projects will help Tajikistan ensure its own energy security in the future. We are also willing to complete our contractual obligations accurately and on time in these projects. Tajikistan has always adhered to the principle of cooperation in the field of energy and also hopes to achieve win-win results with all parties."
The Kyrgyz Republic is one of the countries with rich energy resources, especially hydropower resources. According to expert estimates, the potential hydropower generation is 142 billion kWh. So far, the developed hydropower capacity of the country is only about 10%.
The second secretary of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in China, Bekboyev Daniel, said that the Kyrgyz energy system has 18 power plants with an installed capacity of 3666 MW, including 16 hydropower plants and 2 thermal power plants, more than 10000 kilometers of 35-500 kV high-voltage transmission lines, more than 70000 kilometers of 10-0.4 kV distribution network, and 518 35 kV and above substations. The maximum annual power generation can reach 15 billion kWh.
Kyrgyzstan's energy system not only meets the needs of its economic development and urban residents, but also provides exports to other countries. Establish contact with Central Asian countries through the 220~500 kV core power grid and operate in a single energy mode.
Kyrgyzstan is a stable exporter of electricity from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and China, with a total export volume of 2 to 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours per year, and 3 billion kilowatt-hours under the condition of sufficient water supply for major rivers. Kyrgyzstan has a large reservoir in Toktogur and a large number of hydropower plants, which is also a significant advantage of the Kyrgyz energy system in terms of power generation and capacity balance.
The development of abundant hydropower energy is the core of Kyrgyzstan's energy development plan. Only on the Narin River and its tributaries, 31 hydropower plants can be built, with an annual power generation capacity of 16 billion kWh.
With the above resource endowments, attracting foreign investment to build new hydropower stations, transforming existing hydropower stations and realizing electricity export are very promising directions for energy development in Kyrgyzstan. The feasibility and effectiveness of hydropower construction also depends on the low utilization rate of hydropower resources - only 10%.
At the same time, the development potential of renewable energy in Kyrgyzstan is very huge, including the potential reserves of wind power generation of 2 billion kilowatt-hours, the average number of days of sunshine per year in Kyrgyzstan is 250, the radiation is about 1700 kilowatts per square meter, and the potential power generation of small hydropower plants is 258 megawatts.
Bekboyev Daniel said that the cooperation between China and Kyrgyzstan in the field of energy has developed very rapidly. China has built high-voltage transmission and transformation lines in Kyrgyzstan and also participated in other energy projects. After the completion of the 500-kilowatt transmission and transformation line, the problem of insufficient power supply in southern Kyrgyzstan will be solved, and more electricity will be exported to Central Asia and South Asia. In 2017, with the support of the Chinese capital, Kyrgyzstan launched the modernization project of Bishkek power plant, and jointly transformed two generating units with a total of 300 megawatts. At the same time, Chinese enterprises also invested in the construction of wind power plants. Chinese companies are also discussing with the Kyrgyz side to jointly build solar power plants.
In terms of energy cooperation, Kazakhstan and China have a deep history of cooperation. The chief representative of Kazakhstan Kazakh Investment State Corporation in China, Vanessah Amantai, said that the earliest investment cooperation between the two countries began in the field of energy, from oil and gas to natural gas and oil pipelines, and to some projects of oil refining. These areas of investment cooperation should be the bridgehead of investment cooperation between the two countries.
Vanessah Amantai introduced Kazakhstan's prospects and potential for cooperation in new and clean energy. At present, the power infrastructure consists of 190 power generation units, with a total installed capacity of 23957 MW, of which the available capacity is 19 GW. The power system is divided into three parts: the north, the south and the west. The south and the north are combined grid systems. The west is not connected to the north and the south at present, and the grid connection is planned.
Kazakhstan is also actively developing a green economy. In the 2050 strategic development plan, the direction of economic transformation to a green economy has been defined, and some key indicators for the development of renewable energy have been identified. That is to say, renewable energy will reach the target of 3% of the total national capacity, which has been completed in 2020. The next goal is to reach 15% by 2030 and 50% by 2050. Kazakhstan has formulated the strategic goal of carbon neutrality and determined the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in the 2060 plan.
In the field of new energy, Kazakhstan has advantages in wind energy, hydropower, photovoltaic and geothermal hydropower. 142 infrastructure facilities have been built, with a total capacity of 2322 megawatts. Renewable resources projects can obtain the government's PPA, obtain relevant indicators through auction, and have priority to obtain transmission dispatching, as well as relevant service fee exemption and other support policies.
In 2021, Kazakhstan began to actively promote and develop hydrogen energy, especially the construction and development of green hydrogen energy industry. In terms of hydrogen energy development, 10 hydrogen energy projects are currently being implemented with a total capacity of 500000 tons. Last year, the first batch of hydrogen energy projects were launched in Aksai. "Kazakhstan hopes to cooperate with Chinese enterprises engaged in hydrogen energy development, and invite them to participate in Kazakhstan's International Hydrogen Energy Alliance to jointly explore and develop hydrogen energy projects in Kazakhstan," said Huaneishi Amantai
