QAZAQ GREEN.  On May 25-26, 2023, the II International Business Festival on Renewable Energy Sources, "Qazaq Green Fest" took place under the theme: "Energy sustainability of Kazakhstan: energy transition". The festival received support from the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the Akimat of Akmola region.

The General partner of the festival is Huawei and its certified partner Photomate. Sponsors of Qazaq Green Fest are: Arm Wind, TotalEnergies, Longi, Sany Renewable Energy, Jusan bank, Polymetal Eurasia, Zhanatas WPP, Jinko Solar, Bureau Veritas, Unicase Law Firm, Unigreen, Alageum Electric, Profland, ADS Sapa.

The Festival also received support from the United Nations Development Programme in Kazakhstan, the Eurasian Development Bank and the KAZENERGY Association. The speakers of the event were:

-      Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Kazakhstan, Ms. Katarzina Vaviernia,

-      Italian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mr. Marco Alberti,

-      British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Ms. Kathy Leach

-      Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dyussenbay Turganov

-      Akim of the Akmola region Ermek Marzhikpayev

-      Vice-Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhandos Nurmaganbetov,

-      Ms. Aida Sitdikova, Director of Energy for Eurasia, Middle East and Africa, EBRD,

-      domestic and international experts on sustainable development.

During the sessions of Qazaq Green Fest, a wide range of crucial topics related to the energy transition in the Republic of Kazakhstan were thoroughly discussed. These included ensuring energy security, state policies in the renewable energy sector, the strategic vision for the country's electric power industry development, issues pertaining to affordable financing for renewable energy projects, gender and corporate aspects of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policy, as well as the development of carbon markets. Business representatives had the opportunity to openly share their experiences, highlighting the challenges and difficulties encountered in implementing renewable energy projects.

At Qazaq Green Fest, an exciting announcement was made regarding the inauguration of the RES School under the auspices of the Qazaq Green Renewable Energy Sources Association. The course of the RES School is designed to be flexible, allowing it to be adapted to the different needs of attendees. This means that the course can be tailored to both beginners in the field of renewable energy, as well as experienced professionals seeking to update their knowledge. The instruction at the Qazaq Green Renewable Energy School will be conducted by industry practitioners, ensuring practical insights and firsthand expertise.

The primary objective of this tool is to provide companies with the opportunity to validate their efforts in reducing their carbon footprint at a corporate level. The certificate was jointly developed by the Qazaq Green RES Association and Сaspi Commodity Exchange JSC highlighting the collaborative efforts to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility in Kazakhstan.

The event witnessed a significant turnout with over 300 attendees from various countries including Kazakhstan, the USA, Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, China, Japan, Uzbekistan, and Russia, including representatives of such companies as NC KazMunayGas JSC, Visor Holding, ENI, Shell, KPO, NCOC, Air Liquide, Toyota Tsusho, Chevron, Tengizchevroil, Sany, LONGi, Huawei, and many others.

As a notable outcome of the event, the participants formulated a Charter, representing the collective appeal of the RES business community to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

"Qazaq Green Fest is the main platform in the country for discussing the development of renewable energy. We believe that it is the development of renewable energy has emerged as the driving force behind the transformation of the electric power industry, which is in dire need of such progress. Presently, the renewable energy sector confronts significant challenges and responsibilities.  These encompass ensuring the nation's energy security through the introduction of new generation capacities, promoting the adoption of small-scale renewable energy solutions by population and businesses, the development of a segment of bilateral contracts, the use of energy storage systems. Therefore, we believe that renewable energy is the most effective tool for achieving carbon neutrality," emphasized Nurlan Kapenov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Qazaq Green Renewable Energy Association.

Thanks to the progressive state policy and commitment to the green course in recent years, the renewable energy sector has been bolstered by a strong impetus for growth. The transition towards a sustainable economy has been acknowledged as a pivotal principle in the country's new economic policy, with an upward revision of the target for renewable energy's share in the energy balance until 2030, now elevated from 10% to 15%. Furthermore, a comprehensive strategy has been implemented to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Looking ahead, the projected energy balance until 2035 anticipates the installation of 6 GW of renewable energy capacity.

By the end of 2022, the country had successfully commissioned 130 renewable energy facilities with a total capacity of 2,388 MW. As a result, the share of renewable energy generation reached 4.5% by the end of 2022. Notably, since 2018, the country has implemented an auction mechanism to select renewable energy projects, a move that has garnered significant praise from foreign investors and international development institutions. So, over 5 years, 232 companies from 13 countries of the world took part in auctions. The renewable energy sector has attracted over 1 trillion KZT of investments and has created more than 2,000 highly skilled permanent jobs.

In recent years, the country's electricity industry has witnessed substantial growth in new capacities, primarily driven by renewable energy sources. Thus, from 2019 to 2022 (as of December 1, 2022), a total of 1,908.2 MW of renewable energy capacity was added, while 311.5 MW of traditional plants were commissioned.

In 2018, the Qazaq Green Renewable Energy Sources (RES) Association was established with the aim of fostering a strong and cohesive RES business community. Qazaq Green brings together all key stakeholders in the renewable energy market, including investors, developers, equipment suppliers, international organizations, financial institutions, and universities. The association holds accreditation from the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan.

Qazaq Green has successfully implemented several initiatives to promote renewable energy. These include the publication of the informative and analytical magazine called Qazaq Green and the green economy news portal, QazaqGreen.com.

In 2019, Qazaq Green organized the inaugural International Business Festival on Renewable Energy Sources, known as Qazaq Green Fest, to address the most pressing issues related to renewable energy development in Kazakhstan. The festival served as a platform for fruitful discussions among industry experts. One notable outcome of the event was the formulation of a Charter, which conveyed the RES business community's concerns and recommendations to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is worth mentioning that a significant number of these concerns have been successfully addressed and resolved as:

• issues of stimulating the implementation of small-scale renewable energy projects,

• reducing the risks of the solvency of conditional consumers by introducing a pass-through tariff,

• the financial stability of the RES settlement and financial center has been ensured,

• educational programs on renewable energy have been launched in the country's universities,

• renewable energy projects are included in the List of priority activities for the implementation of investment projects.