izhan Mussakanova, Trade & Investment Counsellor of Belgium in Kazakhstan, Head of the Representative Office of The Walloon Export-Investment Agency (AWEX Almaty) :

"I am glad to inform our compatriots about the successful holding of a thematic business visit to the Belgian region of Walloon, which took place on November 21-25, 2022. This is the first specialized visit of such a delegation, which brought together experts and professionals in the field of renewable energy from three Central Asian countries: the Kazakhstan Renewable Energy Association "Qazaq Green", the Kazakhstan Waste Management Association "KazWaste", the Renewable Energy Association of Tajikistan and the Renewable Energy Association of Kyrgyzstan.

This event was of particular importance due to the fact that the Belgian Government announced during the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) about its strategy of promoting Belgian experience and expertise in the field of "green" technologies in developing countries. But this direction is also included in the plan of priority measures provided by the Walloon Export and Investment Agency to enhance the export of expertise and technological solutions of Walloon companies.

In this connection, the main purpose of this event was to study the best practices of using "green" technologies in the field of waste management (MSW and water resources, in particular, the use and management of small hydroelectric power plants) and further strengthen the development of "green" economy mechanisms in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. I sincerely hope and believe that the "green" technologies developed and applied in Belgium will firmly settle in our country. After all, experienced professionals and true patriots of Kazakhstan are working on this, such as Nurlan Kapenov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renewable Energy Association "Qazaq Green", Ainur Sospanova, CEO of the Renewable Energy Association "Qazaq Green", and Chairman of the Board of the Kazakhstan Association for Waste Management "KazWaste" Shynbolat Baikulov. I really want our children and their descendants to inherit a clean land, a careful attitude to nature and its resources, which are not infinite. To do this, we, all citizens of our country, must work together. I hope that the thematic business visit organized by AWEX Almaty and the high mission of the delegates will be a big step and a reliable foundation on the way to building a "green" economy in Kazakhstan.

The thematic business visit began with an introductory seminar on "Greentech: Wallonia Expertise", which was attended by representatives of the Belgian greenwin clusters – Enrique Gonzalez, Mecatech – Rafael James Contreras and Valbiom - Aurelien Bardellin. Representatives of clusters presented the activities of their organizations, ongoing projects, development prospects and trends of their industries.

During the seminar, Milena Gvozden and Hubert Siemes, representatives of the head office of the Wallonia Export and Investment Agency (AWEX Brussels), presented the European TAIEX INTPA program and financial support tools for various projects in the field of "green" energy.

TAIEX INTPA - is a tool of the Technical assistance and Information Exchange Program (TAIEX), within the framework of which experts from the public sector of the member states of the European Union provide short-term technical support at the request of public institutions of the partner countries. The program aims to strengthen the mechanisms of national development policy and promote the achievement of sustainable development goals in accordance with the EU commitments under the UN Agenda for the period up to 2030 and can cover any areas of knowledge and best practices of EU member states - from EU norms and laws in the field of border control and consumer protection to digitalization.

Within the framework of this program, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic Kazakhstan, with the support of the Kazakhstan Waste Management Association "KazWaste", is preparing an application for an expert examination by holding a specialized seminar on the topic of EPS, an expert mission in Kazakhstan, and is also organizing a study trip for representatives of the ministry in order to receive detailed advice on various issues related to the field of waste management and EPS.

The topic of medical waste disposal has always been relevant for humanity, but in the COVID and post-COVID period, against the background of the global epidemic and mass vaccination, the amount of medical waste, including in Kazakhstan, has increased many times, and this issue has become particularly acute. The company AMB Ecosteryl, located in the city of Mons (50 kilometers southwest of Brussels), is the author of a safe technological solution for the disinfection and processing of biomedical waste. This development is a 100% environmentally friendly innovation that has become a key institutional implementation in solving the global health crisis. Based on the results of thematic business visit, AMB Ecosteryl is currently negotiating with Kazakh partners on further implementation and use of its technology in the local market.

Construction waste in most developed countries today accounts for almost a third of all waste. In such situation, the recycling process becomes a top priority. One of the objectives of the thematic business visit was also to study the experience of Belgium in the management of construction waste by visiting the production facilities of companies such as Tradecowall (Recyliege) and Replic.

Tradecowall (Recyliege) has been specializing in waste management of construction and demolition of buildings in Wallonia since 1991 and includes a network of companies working with inert waste recycling centers in the region. The company helps to make the construction industry more circular, thereby reducing its impact on the environment.

While Replic's pilot industrial facility for the processing and disposal of plaster, located in the autonomous port of Pecq, represents a unique innovative partnership between partners such as Ipalle, SUEZ and Cogetrina. This initiative makes a significant contribution to the WAPI 2040 territorial project, which fully corresponds to the closed-loop economy from both an economic and environmental point of view. It is worth noting that plaster has an infinite recycling cycle and therefore can be used as a final product in cement plants or plaster products.

In the field of waste management, one of the relevant topics was also the study of the Belgian experience in the management of solid household waste (MSW) and waste of alkaline batteries. The delegation members visited two waste recycling plants in Wallonia. They are supervised by the municipal associations TIBI and Intradel, which provide a solid waste management system in the cities of Charleroi and Liege in the west and east of Belgium. The main activity of the associations established back in the 80s is to provide the communes with a full range of services for the collection, sorting,

disposal of waste in accordance with the legislation of the European Union, Belgium and the Wallonia region.

During the visit of TIBI, the delegation also had the opportunity to visit one of its divisions - the Valtris sorting center, whose production line allows dividing into 14 fractions the contents of blue bags collected from almost two million residents containing various types of packaging. This is a very important step towards the introduction of the circular economy of packaging, which is being implemented in partnership with the operator of the Fost Plus EPS.

Another interesting point of the visit program was a visit to the Revatech plant. This is the first company in Europe that has been using a patented process for recycling and recycling alkaline batteries called REVABAT® since 1996. Revatech processes about 4,000 tons of batteries per year, collected from all over Belgium, as well as in other European countries.

Effective management of the variability of water resources and ecosystem changes in a rapidly changing climate undoubtedly plays a central role in creating a climate-resilient and reliable "green" economy. In this regard, Wallonia is a good example: the main aquifers are located there, providing 55% of the national demand for water. There are many organizations involved in water supply and sanitation in the Wallonia region, the most important of which, SWDE, organized a group meeting for delegates. Located in the province of Liege, SWDE is the main state organization responsible for water supply in the Wallonia region. It serves about 200 municipalities, providing about 70% of the population with water (more than 2.4 million people).

It should be noted that one of the most effective directions for the development of renewable energy sources and an important component of the energy balance, at the same time environmentally friendly, economical, quickly implemented and reliable, are small hydroelectric power plants (SHPP). Today, only about 20% of the world's total hydropower potential is involved. In this regard, taking into account the areas in which Wallonia has unique expertise and know-how, the participants of the visit were able to visit and get acquainted with the activities of such Belgian companies as JLA Hydro and Rutten Electromecanique SA, specializing in the design and production of hydraulic turbines.

Today, the Belgian company JLA Hydro has more than 100 SHPP installations on four continents with a total capacity of more than 4,000 kW. The company specializes in the development, engineering, production and installation of hydraulic turbines. As for Rutten Electromecanique, based in the city of Herstal (province of Liege), it puts innovative solutions at the forefront of its development, in particular in the field of hydropower in Belgium and around the world.

For more than 30 years of its existence, the company has developed the concept of a high-performance hydroelectric turbine suitable for low pressure from 1.6 to 4 m. The lack of civil engineering component is the main goal that the company aspired to. Therefore, Rutten turbines are designed to adapt to existing stationary dams (automatic locks, stone dams, needle dams, etc.).

The final and one of the important events of the thematic visit was a collective meeting at the John Cockerill company in the city of Seraing. It is a large multinational company with more than 200 years of history. Its representatives presented various solutions and projects covering five main areas: energy, environment, "green" hydrogen, defense and industry.

A particularly important topic of discussion was the prospects for development of projects in the field of "green" hydrogen. The field of hydrogen energy development is becoming increasingly important for Kazakhstan, given its commitment to decarbonizing the economy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

GREENWIN (www.greenwin.be) - is a competitiveness cluster engaged in innovations in the field of "green" chemistry and sustainable materials (including their use in buildings with low energy consumption).

Three strategic directions of GreenWin's activity:

- Development of new products based on the use of secondary or renewable

raw materials (bio-sources)

- Development of new products and energy management systems

- Development of new technologies for processing and disposal of products at the end of their life cycle, as well as for use of waste as a new source of raw materials.

MECATECH (www.polemecatech.be) - is a cluster related to the field of engineering mechanics. The projects of this cluster have four main directions:

- materials of the future

- formation of global technologies

- microtechnologies and mechatronics

- maintenance.

VALBIOM (www.valbiom.be) covers the sectors of biomass energy and renewable raw materials (biomass chemistry). Valbiom is actively working on topics such as:

- Resources: flaxseed, rapeseed, cereals, chicory, beets, potatoes, hemp, by-products of the woodworking and agro-industrial industry

- Processes: combustion, anaerobic digestion, cogeneration, gasification, plant chemistry, etc.

- At the product level: solvents, surfactants, biopolymers, bio-lubricants, biomaterials, heat, "green" electricity, biofuels.

The cluster works with representatives of the agricultural sector and government departments. It includes communities, associations, scientific institutions and other structures.