From April 11 to 12, a training seminar “Studying international experience in the implementation of innovative technologies for energy efficiency in the electricity industry” was held in the city of Mary. The training took place within the framework of the joint project of the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan “Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Development of Green Cities in Ashgabat and Avaza.”

The seminar was attended by specialists from the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan, teachers and students of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT, Mary), specialists from the Research and Production Center “Renewable Energy Sources” (RES) at SEIT, as well as specialists and international consultants of the UNDP project on sustainable cities in Turkmenistan.

The seminar was aimed at studying international experience in introducing innovative technologies for energy efficiency in the electricity industry. During the presentations, the activities carried out jointly with specialists from the Ministry of Energy, GEIT and the UNDP project to implement pilot projects for the introduction of innovative energy efficiency technologies and the development of the use of renewable energy sources were presented.

Participants got acquainted with the activities of the UNDP project “Sustainable Cities” in the field of development of regulatory legal acts on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, including the National Strategy for the Development of Renewable Energy in Turkmenistan until 2030, the Law of Turkmenistan “On Renewable Energy Sources” and the new Law of Turkmenistan “On Energy Efficiency and energy saving." Additionally, the possibility of cooperation between the State Energy Institute and the UNDP project on sustainable cities in Turkmenistan in the field of development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country was discussed.

The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNDP, aims to reduce the negative impacts of urban growth in the country, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, introducing energy consumption reduction, improving environmental monitoring and sustainable waste management, developing sustainable transport within the country's efforts to achieve socio-economic development goals.