Ashgabat, 3 March 2021: Within the framework of a joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza", a training webinar was organized on the topic "Learning international experience in the development of regulatory technical documents for the development of renewable energy in Turkmenistan".

Specialists of the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection, teachers and students of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT), specialists of the Scientific and Production Center "Renewable Energy Sources" under the SEIT, international projects of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ), Nature Conservation Society of Turkmenistan as well as specialists and international consultants of the UNDP project on Sustainable Cities took part in this webinar.

The goal of the webinar was to provide participants with information on the development of the use of renewable energy sources (RES) in Turkmenistan and international experience in the development of regulatory documents and best practices in the use of renewable energy sources, on the introduction of innovative energy efficient technologies in the electric power industry.

During the event, speakers presented the activities carried out jointly by the specialists of the Ministry of Energy, the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan and the UNDP project on the development of the new Laws of Turkmenistan "On Renewable Energy Sources" and "On Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving", which are currently under consideration of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.  Also, a detailed information was provided about the strategic document in the field of renewable energy developed with the support of UNDP - the National Strategy for the Development of Renewable Energy of Turkmenistan for the Period until 2030, which was approved by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan on December 4, 2020. Currently, the development of regulatory documents is being actively continued and, in total, with the support of the UNDP project 10 additional regulatory legal acts will be developed to support the development of the use of renewable energy sources in the country.

Practical steps being implemented and planned by the UNDP project on Sustainable Cities to develop the use of renewable energy in Turkmenistan and the introduction of innovative energy efficient technologies in the electric power industry are carried out in the following areas:

• introduction of smart grids for the management of the public lighting system into the city street lighting system at the pilot site in Ashgabat as innovative energy efficient technology into the electric power industry;
• energy survey and introduction of energy efficient technologies in Ashgabat hotels;
• installation of solar energy fed non-volatile LED lamps on the territory of the Scientific and Production Center "Renewable Energy Sources" under the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan;
• installation of modern LED lamps and intelligent networks to control the public lighting system on the campus of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan;
• support the creation of a new educational laboratory at the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan, where students can conduct laboratory work and improve practical skills on the development of renewable energy in Turkmenistan and the introduction of innovative energy efficient technologies in the electric power industry;               
• support the creation of a new laboratory as part of the Scientific and Production Center "Renewable Energy Sources" at the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan for conducting research work on energy inspection of energy facilities.