| World news Tajikistan


The Sebzor hydropower project in Tajikistan has become the first project in the world to be certified against the Hydropower Sustainability Standard, the hydropower sector’s independent sustainability certification scheme which accredits hydropower projects that meet and exceed good practice in a wide range of sustainability topics. The 11MW project, which is owned by Pamir Energy, was assessed 30 September-5 October 2022, with a 60-day public consultation period following, which ended on 23 February 2023. “I cannot commend Pamir Energy enough for the Sebzor


Hydropower project becoming the world’s first project certified against the Hydropower Sustainability Standard,” commented Ashok Khosla, Chair of the Hydropower Sustainability Governance Council and sustainable development expert. “Their tenacity and dedication to implementing good sustainability practices has paid off. We look forward to seeing their continued leadership in sustainable hydropower development, as they work towards applying the same standards across all their operations.” Amrikhon Raimov, General Director of Pamir Energy said of the certification: “We are proud to be leading the way in sustainable hydropower development in Tajikistan and beyond. As part of our efforts in continuing to achieve the highest standards of sustainability, we are now already working towards obtaining the Gold certification against the Hydropower Sustainability Standard. “Sebzor is just the beginning of our journey to provide clean,


reliable, and affordable energy while protecting the environment and supporting the communities we serve.” The Hydropower Sustainability Standard is an independent,


international certification scheme, which measures minimum levels of good practice in twelve sustainability topics from biodiversity and indigenous peoples to water quality and climate change mitigation.


World first as Sebzor project certified against Hydropower Sustainability Developed by a multistakeholder group comprised of industry,


environmental and social NGOs, multilateral banks and civil society organisations, the Standard provides a framework to incentivise sustainable hydropower projects and improve less sustainable developments. The assessment of Sebzor was made possible in part thanks


to the support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and its Hydropower ESG (HESG) Assessment Fund. Sebzor was one of the first recipients of this fund, which aims to promote sustainable hydropower development by supporting the assessment of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities. “Sebzor is a good example of why we created the HESG fund. We


want to make sustainability assessments accessible to hydropower projects and help them identify their gaps and work towards closing them,” commented Daniel Menebhi, Program Manager at SECO. “This should also help developers get access to finance including through green bonds. SECO supports the Hydropower Sustainability Standard because hydropower has an important role to play in the energy transition and by applying the Standard the sustainability of hydropower investments is improved.” This world first was celebrated at an event jointly hosted by


the International Hydropower Association, ITAIPU Binacional, the Executive Committee for the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea, the Aga Khan Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Tajikistan with Minister H.E. Daler Jum’a Shofaqir attending. The event focused on exploring the interface between water,


energy and the environment and how they can provide benefits to water, agriculture and the environment sectors with an emphasis on collaboration between countries.


Global


Around $35 trillion investment needed by 2030 for global energy transition suggests IRENA report preview According to a new report preview from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the world will need to invest $35 trillion in renewable energy infrastructure and technology – including hydropower - by 2030 to achieve a successful energy transition. The World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023


Preview, which highlights the critical role that renewable energy will play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting global climate goals, outlines a cost-optimal pathway for achieving a global renewable energy system by 2050. It estimates that an additional 30TW of renewable energy capacity will be needed by 2030 to achieve this goal, including 18TW of solar, 8TW of wind, and 3TW of hydropower. The report also calls for significant investment in energy efficiency measures and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. “The scale of the challenge is daunting, but the benefits of a successful energy transition are enormous,” said IRENA Director-General


Francesco La Camera. “The energy transition offers the opportunity to create new jobs, improve public health, and promote sustainable economic growth.” The preview highlights the importance of


international cooperation and private sector investment in achieving the necessary levels of investment. It calls for supportive policies, financial incentives, and increased public and private sector collaboration to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. “We must rewrite the way international cooperation works,” commented La Camera. “Achieving the energy transition requires stronger international collaboration, including collective efforts to channel more funds to developing countries. A fundamental shift in the support to developing nations must put more focus on energy access and climate adaptation. Moving forward, multilateral financial institutions need to direct more funds, at better terms, towards energy transition projects and build the physical infrastructure that is needed to sustain the development of a new energy system.” Despite the significant investment required, the preview also highlights the potential for


significant cost savings and economic benefits in the long term. By embracing renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, countries can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, improve energy security, and create new opportunities for economic growth and job creation. The preview calls for a comprehensive


approach to energy system planning and investment, including the adoption of policies to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and create a level playing field for renewable energy. It also emphasizes the need for investment in research and development to drive innovation and cost reductions in renewable energy technologies. The full World Energy Transitions Outlook 2023 report will be released later this year.


Europe EGP invests in satellite monitoring for hydropower plants Enel Green Power (EGP) has announced it has successfully experimented with satellite positioning technology to monitor the infrastructure of hydropower plants and the mountainous areas where they are built.


www.waterpowermagazine.com | May 2023 | 5


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