BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 21. The President of
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $750,000 in technical
assistance to assess the wind potential for renewable energy
development in Turkmenistan, Trend reports via ADB’s technical
report “Evaluation of Wind Potential for Renewable Energy
Development”.
According to the information, the technical assistance is aimed
at supporting the government of Turkmenistan in the development of
wind energy in order to diversify the energy balance and reduce
dependence on natural gas.
Moreover, the technical assistance will focus on creating an
enabling environment for wind energy development by providing
advice on policy, legal, and regulatory reforms; developing a wind
energy development plan; confirming the availability of wind
resources; and preparing up to six pre-feasibility studies,
including two commercial projects.
In addition, the technical assistance will provide the Ministry
of Energy with tools to strengthen the management and
implementation capacity of wind energy projects. This will
contribute to Turkmenistan’s transition to sustainable development
and fulfillment of renewable energy targets.
“Turkmenistan has the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the
world, and the country’s energy sector is highly dependent on gas
as the main fuel for electricity generation. In 2023, electricity
production totaled more than 31.0 terawatt hours, of which 9.3
terawatt hours were exported. However, dependence on gas limits the
diversity of the energy mix and makes the country vulnerable to
changes in global gas markets. It also makes it difficult to meet
Turkmenistan’s climate commitments. Turkmenistan has significant
potential for renewable energy, especially solar and wind energy.
However, these opportunities remain unrealized. Low prices for
electricity from natural gas hinder the attraction of private
investment and the implementation of renewable energy projects. The
development of renewable energy sources, especially wind and solar,
is a priority for Turkmenistan. However, the country still lacks
clear targets in this area. Political and regulatory support is
needed to create an environment conducive to private sector
participation,” the information says.
ADB emphasizes that the technical assistance supports the bank’s
2024-2028 strategy in Turkmenistan, as well as Turkmenistan’s
national renewable energy strategy until 2030.
“It contributes to the fulfillment of national commitments under
the Paris Agreement. Building on ADB’s experience in implementing
renewable energy projects, the technical assistance will apply
successful practices in scoping studies, capacity building, and
grid integration assessment. The technical assistance complements
other ADB initiatives in Turkmenistan, including energy efficiency
improvements and low-carbon transition. The data and technical
knowledge generated will support the country’s transition to
sustainable energy. Through technical assessments, feasibility
studies, policy recommendations, and capacity building, the
technical assistance will provide the government with tools for
wind energy development, laying the foundation for long-term energy
sustainability,” the information notes.
The objective of the technical assistance is to diversify and
sustain Turkmenistan’s energy mix by integrating wind energy. The
expected result is increased readiness to implement wind energy
projects.
“The preparation of a national wind energy development plan
includes analyzing the current energy mix and wind potential,
identifying targets and capacity by 2030 or 2040, and developing a
legal and regulatory framework to attract investment and private
sector participation.
The total cost of the technical assistance is $750,000, which is
financed on a grant basis from ADB. The Turkmen government is
providing support in the form of staffing, office space, and
transportation.
