QAZAQ GREEN.  Nazarbayev University hosted International Energy Agency’s workshop. During this the scientists advocate for new technologies that rely on biomass and low-grade waste utilization, according to NU’s website.

For the past eight years, the NU "Clean Energy" research group, led by Professor Yerbol Sarbassov of the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, has been exploring this issue. The group presented their projects to international colleagues at the 89th Technical Workshop of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The workshop at NU on October 30-31, 2024, focused on a critical aspect of Kazakhstan's energy future—applying Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) technology for carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes.

"The technology for burning various types of fuel at low temperatures will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, power plants in Kazakhstan burn coal at high temperatures, using a single type of fuel. The new technology operates at low temperatures and allows for the mixing or separate use of different fuels, including biomass and certain combustible waste. This technology is well-developed in Scandinavian countries and parts of Europe, for example, in Poland, where all stations have long transitioned to it. We are now reviving this industry, having set up a laboratory and received orders from national companies," said project leader Yerbol Sarbassov.

NU's Clean Energy team of scientists has successfully completed several important research projects in the field of clean energy technologies. In recent years, NU's "Clean Energy" research group has partnered with Samruk-Energy JSC to develop carbon capture and storage technologies that will help Kazakhstan's coal-fired power plants meet their carbon reduction targets.

During the seminar, leading experts from Sweden, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Estonia, Japan, and other countries discussed how fluidized bed technology could improve fuel combustion efficiency, reduce emissions at coal-fired power plants, and pave the way for using alternative fuels such as biomass and low-grade waste. Representatives from Samruk-Energy JSC, the Kazakh Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Energy also participated in the seminar.

More than 15 scientists presented their extensive reports and the best received special certificates of honor. The organizers noted that holding the International Energy Agency seminar at NU highlights the university's role in promoting advanced scientific research in the fields of sustainable development and clean energy in Central Asia.