AGENDA

The discussion will centre on how Astana, Baku and Tashkent are synchronising their sovereign wealth and natural resources to navigate the new global trade reality. We will analyse the region's emergence as an Energy Superpower, specifically examining how it is leveraging its unique intersection of green electrons, rare-earth elements, and carbon-storage capacity to rewrite its relationship with the EU and China. This is the executive briefing on the region’s roadmap to industrial autonomy and its role as the essential guarantor of Europe’s resource security.

• Keynote: The Unified Energy Front: A high-level briefing regarding the harmonisation of regional "Green Electrons" and the shared export market to the EU.
• How KMG are pivoting from "Volume-driven" to "Value-driven" strategies under the pressure of EU CBAM and global ESG mandates.
• A strategic look at the rare-earth elements Roadmap—leveraging energy transition goals to anchor the region as the primary supplier of copper and lithium to the West.
• How sovereign wealth funds and international development banks (EBRD/ADB) are "de-risking" the regional grid before the 2027-2030 project wave.

This session is where the "vision" meets the "reality check." We will talk about the difficult choices regional leaders must make by 2030.

• The core of the discussion is a simple but tough question: How can the region grow its own independent energy power without losing its competitive edge or its control to foreign investors?
• Can Baku, Astana, and Tashkent realistically harmonise their tax codes before the 2027 CBAM cliff?
• As National Oil Companies (KMG, SOCAR, UNG) move into renewables and hydrogen, are they ready to compete without state subsidies?
• The friction between inviting Western "Green Capital" and maintaining absolute sovereign control over new energy infrastructure.
• Can the region scale up renewables without sacrificing the industrial stability that NOCs and manufacturers depend on?
• The Role of Industrial Integrators: How technology partners bridge the gap between national policy and bankable project delivery.

Panelists:
• Niccolo Heilpern, Vice President, Central Asia, Caspian and Turkey Region, MAIRE
• Issa Kudabekov, Deputy Director, Kazakh Invest
• Maria Prozorova, Managing Director, Eurasian Development Bank

Implications for Caspian exports of oil, gas and renewables-based energy.

For Oil & Gas giants, 2026 is the year of "Operational Decarbonization" to avoid being taxed out of the European market.

• Zero Routine Flaring: How the Tengiz field’s 94% reduction is being used as a blueprint for Uzbekistan’s ageing Soviet-era infrastructure.
• Flare Gas Recovery (FGRS): Monetising waste gas into power or feedstock for the $30bn downstream clusters.
• Upstream & Downstream Electrification: Transitioning remote drilling rigs and offshore platforms to Renewable Micro-grids (Solar + BESS) to lower "Carbon Intensity per Barrel."
• Beyond Capture: Managing High-Concentration CO2 Flux from Gas Processing Plants
• From Vision to Bankable Reality: Structuring the Caspian–EU Green Energy Corridor.
• Operational Decarboniыation in Turkmenistan: Aligning Gas Sector with Global ESG Standards.
• Aviation Decarbonisation: Regulatory Pressures, Double Materiality, and Financial Risks in Central Asia

As the agreement between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan enters its implementation phase in 2026, this panel brings together engineers, financiers, and policy-makers to move beyond the vision and address the physical reality of connecting the Eurasian steppe to the European grid.

• Can we synchronise the region grid with the EU's ENTSO-E?
• Deep-sea cabling in the Black Sea (depths up to 2,200m) vs. the Caspian. How do we manage the "Marine Studies" and environmental impact assessments starting in 2026?
• Is it more efficient to send power via cable or ship Green Ammonia from the newly developed "Green Hubs" at the Port of Kuryk and Baku?
• How will the "Cross-Border Cost Allocation" work between the four primary nations?

For Oil & Gas giants, 2026 is the year of "Operational Decarbonization" to avoid being taxed out of the European market.

• Utilising Existing Oil & Gas Infrastructure to Transport Green Hydrogen via Hydrocarbon Absorption.
• Climate Strategy of Uztransgaz.
• Low-Carbon Hydrogen in Refining: Replacing "Grey" hydrogen with Blue (CCS-backed) or Green (Electrolyser) pathways to produce export-grade "Premium" fuels.
• Scaling the Renewable Potential – Regional Case Studies
• CCUS Hubs & Storage Logistics: Managing the shift from "Capture" to "Storage".

Using AI and Blockchain to verify emission data for EU CBAM compliance and green bond eligibility.

In 2026, water scarcity is a national security issue. If you don't treat your water, you cannot run your plant.

• Zero-Liquid Discharge (ZLD): Scaling 99% water recovery in landlocked chemical clusters using advanced thermal-membrane systems.
• Industrial Water Recycling: Technical solutions for treating "Produced Water" from Upstream sites for use in Downstream cooling towers.
• Seawater Desalination Technologies: Overview of Implemented Projects and Available Solutions

The audience is divided into 4 working groups, each led by a moderator, to solve a specific "Roadblock."

1. The "Green Premium" vs. The Citizen.
If we spend billions on CCUS and Green Hydrogen, the cost of local energy will rise. How do we decarbonise without triggering a social crisis or "Yellow Vest" style protests over energy prices?
Session Facilitator: Luca Raffellini, Executive Director, S&P Global

2. The Water-Energy-Food Conflict.
Green Hydrogen and SAF need massive amounts of water. In a region with a drying Caspian, how do we prove to the public that we aren't choosing "Fuel for Europe" over "Water for our Farmers"?
Session Facilitator: Ora Lazic, Founder and Director, Eurasia Industry Expert Ltd


3. Catalyst Import Substitution: A Roadmap for Localizing Production in Central Asia.
Session FacilitatorModerator: Nicholas Pomeroy, Director, The British-Kazakh Society