ASTANA – The first Kazakh-German forum on energy and infrastructure networks was held July 14 in the city. The delegations, headed by Kazakh Ministry of Investment and Development First Vice Minister Albert Rau and the German Energy Agency Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch, signed a memorandum on cooperation in energy conservation and efficiency.
Government delegations and company representatives from both countries opened their speeches on the Kazakh and German perspectives regarding cooperation in fields of energy efficiency and infrastructure networks, energy efficiency in industry and network infrastructure. The participants visited the EXPO 2017 exhibition site the following day.
The framework conditions and further plans in the field of Kazakh energy efficiency, planning strategy for network industrialisation and modernisation and market development were major topics at the forum. The setting provided an opportunity to exchange experience and technologies between companies from both nations, according to the press release from the Office of German Economy in Central Asia.
In relation to entering the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and strengthening competition in the global arena, chairman of the Institute for the Development of Electric Power Industry and Energy ConservationZhakyp Bogenbayev stressed the need to modernise and attract new technologies to make Kazakh products more competitive in the global market.
“The transfer of technologies, facilities and the training of our specialists in the field of energy conservation are among the most promising key directions of Kazakh-German energy cooperation,” he said in an interview. “The memorandum is an opportunity for us to engage in these clearly-defined actions, and authorised bodies can coordinate all actions,” he said.
Bogenbayev also spoke about Kazakhstan’s innovative developments in the field of energetics.
“New proposals, facilities, technology on improvement of the energy management system, efficiency and fuel burning are some of the developments that are important to a lot of joint foreign companies like Siemens and IBB,” he noted.
Deputy head of the department of international energy policy at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energetics Jorg Kirsch listed the three major directions in which Germany companies are interested regarding the energy sphere in Kazakhstan.
“First of all, Kazakhstan is in fifth place in supplying oil to Germany. It is very important, because we think the net supply of mineral resources will be developing here, too. Secondly, we are interested in what Kazakhstan does about energy efficiency and conservation and we think that renewable energy in Kazakhstan will be as developed as it is in a largely experienced area in Germany. Thirdly, Kazakh and German companies can cooperate with each other,” he explained.
Kirsch responded to a question about inventive German developments in energetics which he thinks may be realised in Kazakhstan.
“We have renewable energy sources such as wind and sun which need to be checked for compatibility with local rates here and whether using them can be economical for Kazakhstan,” he added.
Kirsch also mentioned issues with heating stations and distribution and technical issues such as pump technology to be developed in future.
The energy intensity of the Kazakh gross domestic product (GDP) is higher than many other countries and production of raw materials, loss of electric power transmission and inefficient use of heat and electricity are the reasons behind this, stated the press release. According to 2015 Kazakh GDP and economic data, the GDP made up $249 billion and real GDP growth was estimated at 4.6 percent in 2014.
Future Energy is the theme of EXPO 2017, the international specialised exhibition to be held in the city. Exhibition objects can become an example for the introduction of alternative sources of energy and energy conservation that can serve as a good opportunity for joint projects of Kazakh and German companies, according to the press release. German companies are leaders in improving energy efficiency and conservation and in technologies of renewable energy and throughout the years many of these companies have been represented in Kazakhstan.
