OREANDA-NEWS. February 26, 2010. The International Conference on the Use of Alternative Energy Sources in Turkmenistan was conducted in Ashgabat on the initiative and under the patronage of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The forum organized by the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan brought together the leading scientists from 27 countries worldwide including academicians, correspondent members of the academies of sciences and professors, the heads of the higher educational institutions from the United States, Austria, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Spain and many other countries. The heads of the International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer and the International Solar Energy Society, the representatives of the Europa House in Turkmenistan, the UN Development Programme and a number of the foreign companies participate in the conference. Turkmenistan was represented by the scientists and specialists of the research institutes affiliated with the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, the research and design institutes, the higher educational institutions and core organisations at the conference.

Though the forum dedicated to renewable energy development was conducted in Turkmenistan for the first time, it drew keen interest of the world scientific community as a remarkable international event. Our country with abundant oil and natural gas reserves ranks among the largest energy exporters in the world. Nevertheless, with a view to fostering social and economic development, preserving natural resources, achieving the ecological wellbeing for the future generations the strategic trends in the policy of the Turkmen state consistently pursued by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov included the development of new industries consuming alternative sources of energy. Thus, the wide-scale research and efficient adoption of innovative technologies and latest engineering thought in this field acquire particular significance today.

The international forum aimed at presenting the huge potential and positive experience of Turkmen and foreign scientists in utilizing alternative energy sources was to facilitate the fulfillment of these tasks. This conference was of particular significance for that it launched a series of international scientific conferences, which would be conducted in 2010. The alternative energy conference was conducted at the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communication, which had recently moved to a new wonderful building. All these vividly evidence the profound attention paid to the further development of Turkmen science and application of the research results in such a promising field as renewable energy.

An exposition presenting the research results gained by the institutes affiliated to the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan and Turkmen scientists’ achievements anticipated the forum opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony brought together the cabinet ministers, the high-ranking officials of the Mejlis, the national ministries and departments, the representatives of the public organisations, Turkmen cultural workers, teachers and students of the higher schools in the conference hall of the Transport and Communication Institute.

The welcoming statement of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to participants of the international scientific conference on the Use of Alternative Energy Sources in Turkmenistan was presented during the opening ceremony. Addressing scientists, the Turkmen leader expressed belief that the outcomes of the conference would be an important step to develop and apply alternative energy technologies in industry. “The constructive fulfillment of this task in the spirit of modern requirements and realities through the efforts of a particular state is impossible. From this viewpoint we pay special attention to such a critical vector of our science policy as establishing and enhancing fruitful cooperation with the leading research centres of the world,” the Turkmen leader said.

The Turkmen leader’s words became the leading idea of the reports and overviews presenting by the scientists from China, Ukraine, Belarus, Australia and Germany on renewable energy development in their countries, which could offer their positive experience in developing and implementing alternative energy projects to Turkmenistan. In particular, Professor Xi Wenhua, Director-General of the International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer noted that the development and production of the innovative, ecologically friendly technologies for using the natural sources including solar, wind, geothermal energy and biogas faced rapid growth in many countries in recent years. Nowadays, renewable energy becomes an active participant to a process for the production of electric power giving birth to a new trend –green energy.

The conference participants presented the concrete examples of advanced updated technologies for converting net energy of hydrogen, biogas through the combined use of the solar and wind energy. In particular, they reviewed reliable and power efficient units and apparatuses widely used in the transport, fuel and energy sectors for producing and refining oil and gas, heat pump technologies, which were effectively used at municipal enterprises, shopping and cultural centres, sports and other facilities.

It was noted that the substantial potential of wind and solar energy and the specificity of power, heat and water supply in the natural zones of Turkmenistan, 80% of the territory of which is occupied by the desert and mountains, created all prerequisites for the development of the industry producing helio complexes, which would meet the needs of the population residing and working in remote districts, first of all.

Three thematic sections were conducted at the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communication (the scientific foundations for the use of solar energy), the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences (the scientific foundations for the use of wind energy) and Magtymguly Turkmen State University the scientific foundations for the use of alternative energy sources).

The constructive dialogue about the existing economic and resource potential for using alternative energy and the promising trends in international mutually advantageous partnership in this field took place.