EU is perfect partner for Kazakhstan to assist in transition to coal based economy with low environmental footprint, N. Jousten

ALMATY. November 7. KAZINFORM Early November a 3-day training session was hosted in the CA Regional Environmental Center in Almaty in the framework of the EU funded project "ACCESS" (Assistance in Clean Coal and Environmentally Sound Storage Solutions).

The training session is part of the capacity building mission of the project and is specifically designed for industrialists, representatives of government entities, scientists and other beneficiaries.

Together with the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies and local partners, the project is designed to support capacity building in Kazakhstan on Clean Coal Technologies and Carbon Capture Storage, the press service of the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan said.

It was implemented by a Belgium team of experts from the University of Hasselt, Ecorem, the University of Liege and the Geological Survey of Belgium with support of the Kazakhstani partner Climate Change Coordination Center.

The ACCESS project is indeed part of the implementation of the EU-Kazakhstan Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of energy that was signed in 2006. This Memorandum has enhanced the EU-Kazakhstan cooperation for an improved coal value chain and a sustainable development of the energy sector in Kazakhstan. Clean Coal Technologies (CCT), Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), environmental assessments and solutions and economic considerations are therefore at the heart of the ACCESS project.

"Capacity Building is the process in which a transfer of knowledge, experience and best practices takes place. The idea is to prepare Kazakhstan for the realization of projects that implement clean coal technologies and that capture and store carbon dioxide. The European Union is a lead player in these technologies and is the perfect partner for Kazakhstan to assist in the transition to a coal based economy with a low environmental and carbon footprint," Mr Norbert Jousten, Head of the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan, said.

The main topics on the agenda of the events were the following: geological storage of CO₂, environmental issues of mining operations and management of mining wastes, legislative approaches on emission controlling, the CCS potential of Kazakhstan, cost effectiveness analysis, CO₂ monitoring, sustainable management and redevelopment of mining sites and enhanced coal bed methane extraction.

"Another interesting and very hands-on way of building capacity is the development of case studies. A case study offers the possibility to deepen a specific problem or challenge, and to identify specific solutions or pathways leading to solutions. The development and the result of the case studies are amongst others being disseminated through the workshops. During the first stage of the project concrete challenges of the Kazakh industry and society have been identified,"Milos Nesladek, project coordinator, stated.

Beside the case studies, more general trainings will also be organized to cover more broadly but indispensable assets to the realization of Clean Coal Technology and Carbon Capture and Storage in Kazakhstan.

The ACCESS project is financed by the EU for an amount of 700 thousand euro.