CAREC Energy Sector Coordinating Committee Meeting (September 2018)

The CAREC Energy Sector Coordinating Committee (ESCC) Meeting was opened by Asian Development Bank Central and West Asia Director General Werner Leipach, Georgia Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Nino Enukidze, and Turkmenistan Deputy Minister of Energy Batyr Hudayberyyev.

Updates on major regional projects and power trade activities were discussed. The session started with updates from each CAREC member country followed by presentations from development partners, which included

• proposed technical assistance on regional electricity trade,
• Central Asia Regional Electricity Trade and Market Development Overview by World Bank, and
• presentations from development partners on the “Central Asia Regional Electricity Market: Accelerating Electricity Security and Economic Growth” by the United States Agency for International Development.

Development partners Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and CAREC Institute introduced their current initiatives on energy sector. CAREC delegates also provided the overview of Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, and its implication on regional gas trade was discussed.

A presentation on off-grid solar kits pilot was also conducted, which was followed by the update and consultation session on the CAREC High Technology Roadmap.

After the meeting, the Government of Georgia organized a site visit for the ESCC participants to the Adjaristsqali Hydropower Project.