Participation of the Turkmenistan delegation in the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE

From September 16 to 18, 2024, Turkmenistan’s delegation participated in the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, organized by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE. The delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan and included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the State Concern «Turkmengaz». The Congress gathered over 1,400 delegates from more than 90 countries, including government ministers, policymakers, international organizations, and business leaders. The event ran alongside the Arab Water Forum, featuring around 110 sessions on various ecological topics.

On the first day of the Congress, the delegation was warmly welcomed by the UAE’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei. The opening ceremony included speeches from key figures, including Minister Al Mazrouei, the President of the Arab Water Council, the CEO of the «TAQA» group, and the President of the World Water Council. Discussions centered on addressing global water challenges, enhancing water resource management, and promoting the adoption of necessary policies, technologies, and solutions for energy and water systems.

Following the opening ceremony, the Turkmenistan delegation, along with Minister Al Mazrouei, toured the exhibition held alongside the Congress. They visited booths set up by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, «TAQA», the Dubai Energy and Water Authority (DEWA), Tabreed, EDF, and other prominent companies. The exhibition featured around 180 organizations showcasing their work and achievements in the energy sector.

On the second day, a special session titled «Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity: From Ambition to Action» focused on the global effort to significantly increase renewable energy capacity as a crucial step in the transition to sustainable energy sources. The session emphasized the need for international cooperation, ambitious policies, and investments in low-emission technologies and long-duration storage solutions to make renewable energy more affordable and scalable. The resilience of supply and value chains was highlighted as essential for turning ambitious pledges into concrete actions.

The session was moderated by the Managing Director and Senior Partner of the Boston Consulting Group, Ferdinand Varga. In his speech, the Deputy Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan, Nurmammet Nurmammedov, provided a detailed overview of the current work and plans of the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan for the development of renewable energy sources in the country. The session also included participation from the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, and the Foreign Affairs Adviser of the Ministry of Energy of Romania, Dr. Adrian Băzăvan. During the session, the participants discussed the challenges of achieving the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity, as well as the necessary steps to accelerate innovations and investments in this area.

On the final day of the Congress, the Turkmenistan delegation participated in a session focusing on the future role of renewable energy, financing methods, and the private sector’s involvement. The event and exhibition concluded successfully, marking an important step in Turkmenistan’s ongoing engagement with international efforts in renewable energy development.