The International Conference “Energy Efficiency in Tajikistan: prospects and challenges” will take place at Serena Dushanbe Hotel from October 25-26.
According to the European Union (EU) Delegation to Tajikistan, the Conference is organized jointly by the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan and the European Union.
The conference will take place in the context of the EU’s Green Diplomacy Week and EU–Tajikistan Sustainable Energy Days 2023 campaigns. It will be attended by national stakeholders, energy policymakers and experts, representatives of academia, civil society from the Republic of Tajikistan, the EU and its member states, as well as international organizations and international financial institutions.
Currently, Tajikistan is at the stage of designing policies and implementation mechanisms to promote energy efficiency. Therefore, now is the right time to identify the way forward with key national stakeholders, international donors, and other partners for sustainable energy policy development in Tajikistan. The Conference will provide an action-oriented forum to share experiences in development and implementation of energy efficiency policies in practice.
The EU Green Diplomacy Weeks is part of the annual global campaign launched by the European Union and its Member States to spark conversations and inspire action for the environment and climate.
Under the theme "A Global Just Energy Transition," this year’s EU Green Diplomacy Weeks focus on accelerating energy efficiency and the deployment of renewable energy sources. The Green Diplomacy Weeks consist of a number of public diplomacy events organized by EU Delegations all over the world, during the period September – November 2023.
The EU–Tajikistan Sustainable Energy Days is part of the broader EU–Central Asia Sustainable Energy Days campaign. Its purpose is to enhance the awareness of all national stakeholder groups and the broader public in the region on the significance, benefits and accessibility of sustainable energy. This campaign in organized by the EU-funded project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)”.
With abundant water potential from its rivers, natural lakes and glaciers, Tajikistan is almost exclusively reliant on hydro for electricity generation. It has some of the world’s largest hydropower plants (HPPs): the Nurek HPP, commissioned in 1972, and Roghun HPP, currently under construction. Although Tajikistan is ranked eighth in the world for hydropower potential with an estimate of 527 terawatt-hours (TWh), the country’s current hydro potential is only exploited at approximately 4%. The challenge to successful economic management is Tajikistan’s high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters.
Electricity is an integral part of Tajikistan’s economy, and providing a clean, affordable and secure supply of electricity has been of paramount importance for the government since independence. Despite its energy potential, Tajikistan’s energy sector is susceptible to supply shocks. The country’s dependence on electricity generation from HPPs makes it prone to seasonal electricity shortages due to water level fluctuations in hydropower reservoirs.
