On December 7, the "Qazaq Green" Public Association organized an event "Achievements and Challenges of the Development of the Housing and Utilities Sector in the Republic of Kazakhstan," dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the association. The event was attended by members of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, representatives of the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, diplomatic corps, and members of the housing and utilities sector.

 A rapidly developing energy sector is considered one of the youngest and most dynamic sectors in our country. Today, thousands of professionals work in the sector, including energy specialists, engineers, builders, economists, government officials, investors, scientists, and researchers.

 According to the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023, from 2015 to 2022, direct foreign investments in the renewable energy sector in the Republic of Kazakhstan accounted for 31% of the total volume of direct foreign investments. Our country has entered the top 10 countries with the highest growth of direct foreign investments in the renewable energy sector, along with Brazil, Chile, India, Egypt, and other nations.

 "In 2018, our country made a historic decision - the process of implementing projects in the renewable energy sector was transitioned from the feed-in tariff system to the auction sales. Following this step, 230 companies from 13 countries participated in auctions for the right to implement renewable energy projects, attracting both foreign and domestic investments. As a result, by the end of September 2023, according to the accounting of the association, the share of electricity generated by renewable energy sources in the total electricity generation in our country increased to 6%. Today, our auctions are recognized both domestically and internationally as fair and transparent platforms, where the cost of the project and the declared capacity play a crucial role. For example, we achieved a record low tariff of 10.38 KZT/kWh for the construction of a 10,001 MW power plant in Abylai region. This is a significant achievement!" - said Nurlan Kapenov, the Chairman of the Board of the "Qazaq Green" Public Association.

 As of now, there 141 housing and utilities objects with a total capacity of 2,715.8 MW (including objects with a capacity of 100 kW and above, and commissioned objects) operating in the country

55 wind power station objects with a total capacity of 1,246.6 MW;

44 solar power station objects with a total capacity of 1,197.83 MW;

39 hydropower station objects with a total capacity of 269.605 MW;

3 biogas power station objects with a total capacity of 1.77 MW.

According to the results of the first 9 months of 2023, the generated electricity from renewable energy objects amounted to 4.91 billion kWh (2,575 million kWh for wind power stations, 1,571.9 million kWh for solar power stations, 760.9 million kWh for hydropower stations, and 2.25 million kWh for biogas power stations), which is 5.97% of the total generated electricity.

Recognizing the contribution to the development of the renewable energy sector, the Board of Directors of the "Qazaq Green" Public Association awarded a letter of commendation to Zh.B. Mominbayev, the Director of the TechnoGroupService LLP, for his significant contribution to the development of the housing and utilities sector.

From December 21 to 25, 2023, in Baku, the forum dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia and Azerbaijan (SPECA), organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) took place. The purpose of the forum was to discuss the economic development of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and to explore the possibilities of enhancing cooperation and regional economic partnerships among these countries. The event emphasized the role of transit routes, digitalization, trade, and infrastructure development, as well as the goals in the field of sustainable development.

The forum was organized by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Each participating country had its own pavilion where projects were presented in the following areas: entrepreneurship, digital development and innovation, and tourism.

"TechnoGroupService" LLP (TGS) actively participated in the forum, presenting the "InTech-Forecast"  and "GreenLight" IT-solutions. During the forum, TGS representatives engaged in fruitful discussions, working on the expansion of TGS projects and the development of partnership and client databases. Additionally, TGS expressed its commitment to support the initiatives of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry and provided international support for their ongoing projects.

On December 24, the first Summit of Heads of SPECA Participating Countries was held. During the summit, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the establishment of a dedicated fund for economic development and integration, as well as the initiation of joint scientific research on environmental issues. The head of state emphasized that the program has become a unique platform for cooperation between the economies of Central Asia within SPECA.

Kazakhstan, being one of the founding members of the SPECA program, played a key role in its establishment in 1997. The program initially involved Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan joining later. The program's goals, as outlined in the Tashkent Declaration, are to support cooperation, promote economic development, and integrate Central Asian countries into the economies of Europe and Asia.

From November 21 to 25, 2023, an exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia and Azerbaijan (SPECA) took place in Baku. The exhibition aimed to showcase the economic potential of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, discuss collaboration opportunities, and strengthen regional economic ties between the countries. The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan organized the exhibition. Each country had separate pavilions showcasing projects in various areas, including industry, digital development and innovation, entrepreneurship, and tourism.

TechnoGroupService LLP (TGS) officially participated in the exhibition, presenting its own software "InTech-Forecast" and the renewable energy support service "GreenLight." Throughout the exhibition, TGS representatives actively promoted TGS projects and expanded their partner and client base. They also gave an interview to the "Khabar" TV channel and initiated collaborations with Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek partners, and domestic companies participating in the exhibition. TGS expresses gratitude to the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry for the support and invitation to participate in this international event, as well as to the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Azerbaijan for their prompt work.

As part of the exhibition, on November 24, the first Summit of the Heads of States participating in SPECA was held. During the summit, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed establishing a target trust fund to support economic development and integration and initiating joint research on environmental issues. The head of state believes that the countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) have become a continental bridge between Europe and Asia.

Kazakhstan initiated the creation of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia in 1997. The programme was launched in 1998 by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, later joined by Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. The founding document, the Tashkent Declaration, states that the "objective of the Programme is to support the countries of Central Asia in developing cooperation, creating incentives for economic development, and integrating into the economies of Europe and Asia."

The International Energy Summit held on November 17, 2023, in Almaty served as a platform for discussing key challenges in the electric power industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The summit featured insights from the following experts: Isenov Baglan Kakimzhanovich, Director of the Production and Technical Department at JSC "CAEC," Alimbetov Zharkymbek Kopbayevich, Deputy Chairman of the Kazakhstan Industry Trade Union of Power Engineers, Gladyev Evgeny Valerievich, CEO of Samruk Kazyna-United Green LLP, Mominbayev Zhomart Bayzakovich, Member of the Board of Directors of "Qazaq Green" RE Association, Kopenov Edil Kudaibergenovich, CEO of LLP "AlmatyEnergoSbyt," Zhanbyrshy Galym Saduakasuly, Technical Director of LLP "Sogrinskaya TEC," Kalmenov Marat Ergalievich, Head of the Business Development and Green Technologies Service at JSC "Kazakhstan-British Technical University," and others.

One of the pressing issues highlighted by all participants was the shortage of personnel in the industry and the need to increase the remuneration of energy professionals. Suggestions were also made regarding measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 and the opportunities to attract green finance into renewable energy.

During the summit, representatives from the production sector shared their experiences in operating state-of-the-art energy equipment and the results of implementing projects in the digitalization of the industry, including the creation of digital twins for large hydroelectric power stations.