Central Asian hydrogen prospects – modern diplomacy

High-level officials, policymakers and energy experts from Kazakhstan, as well as representatives of the European Union (EU), EU member states and international organizations gathered at the Central Asian and European Hydrogen Diplomacy Forum.

With the global commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, green hydrogen as a sustainable carrier of green energy and molecules for decarbonization is gaining increasing interest in the Central Asia and Caucasus region, as well as in Europe. All regions are considering the deployment of green hydrogen to address the challenges of climate change, energy security and economic growth in the coming years and decades.

By 2030, the EU plans to produce 10 million tons of green hydrogen and import 10 million tons annually. Kazakhstan, with its potential to produce cheap renewable energy sources from wind and solar, could become one of the importers to the EU.

Addressing the participants, Kestutis Jankauskas, EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan, noted: “Generating energy from renewable sources is necessary for the production of green hydrogen. Kazakhstan should take quick and decisive actions to develop the necessary normative base, targeted at and adapted to the EU market as the main potential consumer of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen can become an important source of sustainable export revenues and a driver for the modernization of Kazakhstan’s economy. Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding on Raw Materials, Batteries and Hydrogen signed between Kazakhstan and the EU in 2022, we have a strong foundation for our cooperation.”.

The Astana Hydrogen Diplomacy Office, serving as a platform for international exchanges between Kazakhstan and Germany on green hydrogen, organized the event in cooperation with the EU-funded project “Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)”. Considering both the export and domestic use of green hydrogen, the event aimed to facilitate a common understanding of the potential synergies and challenges for regional cooperation and to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of sustainable energy.

The forum held several high-level discussions on topics such as green hydrogen policy development, green hydrogen production in Central Asia and the Caucasus, decarbonization and diversification of economies in Central Asia.

The SECCA project moderated Session 2 of the Forum titled “Decarbonization: Supporting the Development of Renewable Energy and Hydrogen in Central Asia.” This session was organized as part of the EU-Kazakhstan Sustainable Energy Days. SECCA experts presented and shared European experience in promoting small-scale renewable energy and guarantees of origin of electricity from renewable energy sources.