The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Kazakhstan’s national gas operator KazTransGas have agreed to join forces in supporting the country’s drive towards a green economy, the bank reported.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Astana on October 26, the two partners will explore ways to promote energy efficiency in the gas sector. A more efficient use of energy and reduced losses will strengthen energy security and help Kazakhstan cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The EBRD and KazTransGas will examine specific possibilities for modernisation and energy efficiency improvements in gas compressor stations and gas networks, systems responsible for the monitoring and control of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions and of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
The EBRD and KazTransGas started cooperating in May, when the EBRD committed nearly EUR 300 million to two landmark projects in Kazakhstan aimed at the modernization of gas networks and the fuel switch from coal to gas for heat and power generation with the upgrade of the Bozoi underground gas storage to help it reach full capacity.
The EBRD has consistently supported Kazakhstan’s policy to build up a “green economy” by financing the first solar and wind power renewable energy projects, a range of energy efficiency projects, as well as by supporting the introduction of renewable energy law and supporting.
The EBRD invested close to $7.5 billion in Kazakhstan’s economy to date. (Trend/Business World Magazine)
