Energy efficiency is currently the main trend in the global economy. The International Energy Agency predicts that the energy intensity of global GDP will decline by 30 percent in the coming years. It’s all thanks to energy saving measures and switching to alternative energy sources. Kazakhstan is too trying to keep up with the most developed countries. This was discussed today at the Third International Energy Saving Forum with the participation of more than 20 countries.
“The goal is to reduce the energy intensity of GDP by 30 percent by 2030 and twofold by 2050 from that of 2008. More than 1,500 energy audits were carried out. About 300 billion tenge (US$699.3 million) were invested in the implementation of action plans for energy saving and energy efficiency. As a result of their implementation, 78 billion tenge (US$181.8 million) were saved. This is an important area of work for Kazakhstan to become one of the top 30 global economies,” said Amaniyaz Yerzhanov, Kazakh Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development.
It appears that almost half of the country’s energy sources are spent on energy. The rest is consumed by the manufacturing and mining industries. At the same time, large enterprises are gradually switching to renewable energy sources. Now the goal is to teach ordinary citizens to do the same, experts say.
“To date, our indicators are two times higher than world indicators because we are an energy-intensive country. We must conserve heat and electricity starting from childhood. We must instill a culture of energy conservation. Everybody should do it, including industrial enterprises, state-financed organizations and the population. It’s not for the authorities, it’s for every citizen of our country to do. Then we will get such a positive effect,” added Baurzhan Smagulov, Chairperson of Electric Power And Energy Saving Development Institute.
The results are already noticeable. 83 socially significant facilities have been radically modernized through a joint project with the World Bank to improve energy efficiency in Kazakhstan. As a result, up to 40 percent of energy resources have been saved. Energy efficient technologies and digital transformation are also being
introduced. A roadmap on energy saving has been approved. All these measures allow the country to improve its energy efficiency, as this is one of the main indicators of its economy.
Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
