Source: buidup.edu
After a first edition organised by Casas Históricas y Singulares and Ars Civilis in Madrid (2014), the Belgian Building Research Institute will be hosting in collaboration with public institutes from Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, the second edition of the International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Comfort of Historic Buildings at the Royal Library in Brussels. The 2nd International Conference on Energy Efficiency and Comfort of Historic Buildings (EECHB) will include over fifty innovative peer-reviewed research papers on topics ranging from assessment and monitoring, to regulations, management and training, as well as sustainable interventions. Four keynote speakers will also present their ideas and findings during the conference. On the third conference day delegates will have ample time to explore the rich engineering, architectural, artistic and cultural offerings of the City of Brussels during the unique guided tour in Brussels that will be offered.

Source: Kazinform

ASTANA. KAZINFORM – Kazakhstan, with its green-minded government, is the poster child for the EBRD’s green investment and 2015 – the year of the launch of the Green Economy Transition approach – was a record year. Total investment in green finance in the country hit €364 million, double the level seen a year earlier. Since 2006, the EBRD has provided €1.335 billion for a total of 68 green projects in Kazakhstan. As the EBRD’s Director in Kazakhstan Janet Heckman explains, the will to go green, both from the EBRD and from the Kazakh government, has been around for years, Kazinform has learnt from ebrd.com.

Ms Heckman, who began work in Kazakhstan nearly four years ago, recalls the then Prime Minister telling her straight away, “we want to look at the Green Economy.”
Kazakhstan is the 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases and until recently its renewable energy use was limited to a few ageing hydropower plants constructed during the Soviet era. It experiences climatic extremes, with summer temperatures in the capital, Astana, reaching over 40 degrees Celsius, and winter temperatures reaching below -40 degrees Celsius.
Coping with this requires substantial energy use for heating and cooling. Yet, in 2013, Kazakhstan adopted an ambitious National Concept for Transition to a Green Economy, aiming to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation from virtually zero to 50 per cent by 2050.
As Ms Heckman recalls, the EBRD’s strategy for Kazakhstan became the first with a focus on the green economy. “A lot of the past four years has been about that. Nearly all our projects have some sort of green component,” she says.
Policy work has been a key part of the job. “With support from international donors such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Climate Investment Funds, we’ve worked closely with the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Green Economy legislation, such as rules for emission trading schemes and renewable energy support, and we’ve worked with the government on helping set their Paris Climate agreement goals.”
The EBRD’s engagement with improving renewable energy regulation has led to the signing of award-winning solar and wind projects and a strong pipeline of “green” projects for the next year.

Donor support has been invaluable. The EBRD’s work is strongly supported by global climate funds. In 2014, the EBRD signed the first large-scale wind power project in Kazakhstan, supported by additional concessional financing from the Clean Technology Fund | Climate Investment Funds. In 2015, this wind farm at Yereymentau received the prestigious American Chamber of Commerce Environmental and Safety Award.

Next came solar investment. The EBRD’s second renewable energy project in Kazakhstan was signed in 2015. A €80 million solar power plant project, the Burnoye solar farm, again co-financed with CTF input, the project is jointly owned by both public and private entities. In May 2016, this was named the EBRD’sSustainable Energy Project of the Year.

“We really are at the forefront of renewables,” says Ms Heckman.

The EBRD has also helped Kazakhstan switch from coal to natural gas, with two projects in Natural Resources (Bozoi Gas Storage and the Gas Network Modernisation) that will generate substantial CO2 savings.

Almost all the EBRD’s Municipal and Environmental Infrastructure (MEI) projects also have resource efficiency components

“In Almaty, we provided 400 compressed natural gas buses and 200 trolleybuses, and 60 per cent of the public transport of Almaty became energy efficient,” Ms Heckman says. “In the regions, we work in water, waste management, waste biogas, district heating, electricity distribution, public transport – all of it on the principle of conservation of scarce resources. These projects are in remote places where usually no one wants to go, but we can see projects can sometimes be bankable. Certain cities, such as Kyzylorda, are becoming models of what needs to be done.”

As well as lending the local transport company in Kyzylorda US$ 18.8 million for the purchase of 92 clean modern buses, the EBRD has financed, or expressed interest in financing, a wide range of Kyzylorda public utilities, from water and wastewater to district heating, solid waste, street lighting and transport.

The EBRD is also working to spread innovative climate-friendly technology through its FINTECC climate technology transfer arm, providing grants to companies or municipalities to complement EBRD financing.

The country’s green economy progress will be on display next year at Expo 2017, an international exhibition held in the capital, Astana, between June and September, titled “Future Energy”. Up to three million visitors are expected.

“All this doesn’t mean everything is perfect,” says Ms Heckman. “But we keep working with the ministries, pushing for legislation that is green and protects public health, and they seem to keep listening to us.”

Source: institute.unido.org

30 November – 7 December 2016 | Groningen, The Netherlands

In order to address the prevailing social and environmental challenges in a sustainable and lasting manner, UNIDO promotes inclusive and sustainable industrial development. One important aspect of it is the necessity to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in industrial production. Considering that energy inputs represent an important cost of production for industries, clean energy and energy efficiency have progressively become core determinants of economic competitiveness and sustained growth.

UNIDO and the Energy Academy Europe (EAE), a centre of excellence on energy located in Groningen, the Netherlands joint forces to enhance the understanding of innovative energy solutions and to contribute to building new capacities for promoting green industry and sustainable energy systems in developing countries. UNIDO and EAE are organizing a training course for professionals to address some of the key issues relating to sustainable energy by raising awareness and conveying an in-depth understanding of energy policy, technology and financing as planning tools for developing sustainable energy systems.

Concept

The 8-day course is designed to provide participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with current and expected trends in sustainable energy solutions and to reflect on practical, innovative and cost effective ways to address sustainability problems within the energy industry and energy systems.

Participants are expected to:

• Identify the main global energy challenges and opportunities, as well as the nexus between energy and climate change
• Gain a thorough understanding of energy issues from a multidimensional perspective
• Learn about best practices in energy policy, best available technologies and effective financing options
• Be able to consider relevant aspects for the promotion and development of sustainable energy systems

Participation in the training is open to mid-level professionals from emerging and developing countries with expertise in industrial development, energy and environment and other relevant fields, engaged in the design and implementation of policies.

Participants are expected to have prior understanding and/or practical knowledge of issues related to industrial energy efficiency, renewable energy, low emission and low carbon energy technologies, as well as energy policy and regulatory frameworks.

Course Design

The objective of this training course is to raise awareness about the key dimensions that need to be addressed to develop sustainable energy solutions for developing countries. The course will provide insights into energy systems modelling, best practices in energy policymaking, best available technologies and financing schemes.

The training course will furthermore explore how to best address these issues while considering the cross-cutting dimensions affecting society in the 21st century, including:

1. Providing universal access to modern forms of energy
2. Promoting clean energy technologies to enhance competitiveness of industry
3. Enhancing energy security
4. Addressing climate change

The course offers a dynamic mix of lecture-based and participatory teaching methods. The programme will be supported by guided study tours to enterprises and research centres in the Netherlands.

Training sessions and all materials will be in English. No translation will be provided.

Source: KAZINFORM

ASTANA. KAZINFORM – CEO of JSC “NC Astana EXPO 2017” Akhmetzhan Yessimov met with Commissioner of the Austrian pavilion at the EXPO 2017 Richard Schenz in Astana on Tuesday.

At the meeting, Mr. Yessimov informed the Austraian guest that the national pavilions will be handed over to participating countries starting from November 2016, whereas apartments for members of the national delegations will be ready in late October.

Mr. Schenz, in turn, said Austria is happy to participate in the EXPO 2017. “I assume that our country is one of the world’s leaders in terms of the topic of the upcoming exhibition “Future Energy”. Presently, we get 25% of energy from alternative energy sources,” he said.

The Austrian side also made a short presentation of the pavilion’s concept which includes innovations of three Austrian companies.

August 26, 2016 on behalf of Prime Minister Karim Massimov at the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on development of the gas industry of Kazakhstan.

On the meeting all the important issues of the gas industry were discussed in details and the relevant concrete decisions on individual moments were taken.

There is a proposal for improving the pricing mechanism for gas trade.

JSC “NC” KazMunayGas “and JSC” KazTransGas “will continue negotiations with” Tengizchevroil “LLP on transfer price of natural gas from dollars to tenge.

Resumed work on the development of a feasibility study (a public examination) project on construction of gas pipeline “Saryarka” (gasification of Astana on the main gas pipeline “Beineu-Bozoi-Shymkent” route: and constructing Compressor Station “Karaozek” (Kyzylorda) – Zhezkazgan – Karaganda – Temirtau – Astana).

“KazTransGas” Company and «General Electric» in conjunction with the regional akimat begin to develop a comprehensive plan for the gasification of settlements with natural gas using new technologies.

In addition, the regional akimat of Almaty in conjunction with the “KazTransGas” JSC will make an updated forecast of consumption of natural gas by 2040. Oil and gas companies of Kazakhstan will calculate the projected gas balance in the context of deposits until 2040.

On the basis of these oil and gas companies and local executive bodies on natural gas consumption, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan will develop a long-term gas balance forecasted until 2040.

JSC “KazTransGas” together with the akimat of Karaganda region will continue to implement the project of extracting methane coal beds in Karaganda coal basin.

Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in cooperation with JSC “NC” KazMunayGas “, JSC” KazTransGas “will continue to work on the elaboration of the issues on transit of Russian gas to China and export Kazakh gas to China.

Source: energo.gov.kz

August 26, 2016 on behalf of Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov in the Ministry of Energy was held a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on local content in major oil and gas projects.

The aim of the working group was to solve all issues between the major mining companies and oilfield services, it had a positive impact on the social situation in the regions, as well as the employment of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan in oil and gas industry.

Already on the first meeting a number of important and urgent decisions have been taken. Tengizchevroil company (TCO) and the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) should consider the possibility of introducing a mechanism of awarding contracts and the early placement of orders for test projects in Tengiz and Kashagan.

In addition three largest operators of oil and gas fields – Tengiz, Karachaganak and Kashagan, LLP “PSA” and JSC NC “KazMunayGas” are up to accelerate the integration of existing databases of these operators using a single database “Alash”.

The Ministry of Energy in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan and the NPP “Atameken” plans to consider the possibility of amending the rules of acquisition of goods, works and services in terms of setting the terms of payment, commensurate terms of delivery of services and other measures.

It will be carried out by joint work with the NPP “Atameken” the market analysis of domestic suppliers, making specific proposals to the Government for the creation of joint ventures with major foreign oil service companies, taking into account current commitments NCOC, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating (KPO) and TCO complexity of the work and services, availability to local suppliers, provision of works and services, economic and technical benefits.

Further, the Ministry of Energy in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Minstry of national economy of Kazakhstan will conduct the possibility of reducing the time of registration of joint ventures and obtaining necessary permits, in particular, the license for the design, construction and installation works, etc ..

In addition, The Ministry of Energy, together with “Atameken”, the Ministry of National Economy, Ministry for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan plans to develop proposals for the measures of state support of domestic oilfield services, including releasement of providers from import duties and VAT on imported equipment used in projects by TCO, NCOC and KPO.

In addition, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan jointly with “Atameken” begins work on the procurement of companies with Chinese participation for excessive demands in the technical specifications and unsubstantiated deviations by or to the Kazakh suppliers.

The Ministry of Energy is also planning to work together with “Atameken” to develop mechanisms to apply the principle of “one stop shop” for users of mineral resources, with a perspective to their interaction within the local market.

Reference: Currently, the oilfield services market in Kazakhstan is more than 1,000 different companies and a total workforce of at least 160,000 people. The oilfield accounts 40-50% of the total procurement of subsoil users.

Oilfield services market includes segments of works and services with the presence of engineers of the company employees. In particular: drilling, engineering, construction and geophysical services.

The largest number, 32% are concentrated in Atyrau region, more than 30 thousand people, next is the 29% of Mangystau, 15% Aktobe and 12% Kyzylorda and West Kazakhstan region, where the number of employees of the oil service companies are at least 12 thousand people. In wells drilling and construction the largest number of people is concentrated in Mangistau region and in other areas Atyrau city leads.

At the end of 2015 the overall cost of oilfield services in the sphere of subsoil use was amounted to 1 trillion. 310 billion tenge, which is on 3% less than in 2014 year -. 1 trillion. 346 billion tenge. If we divide the subsoil use market into 3 main groups, the share of purchases of three major operators will increase substantially being 72% of the total purchase, instead of 48% in 2014.

Source: energo.gov.kz

ASTANA. KAZINFORM The Ministry of Agriculture says that fish die-off in the Irtysh River was caused by high air temperature and sharp water level decrease. In one word, the fish died of suffocation.

“After the release of water from reservoirs in the East Kazakhstan region, fish kills were recorded in the reservoirs formed after the flood, where abnormal decrease of water occurred due to high water and air temperature,” say the experts.

Laboratory tests did not find any excess heavy metal concentrations in the river.

During the period from July 12 through 18, 2016 no cases of fish kills were registered.

Earlier Kazinform reported of fish kills in the Irtysh River in Maysky district and Aksu town.

Source: www.inform.kz