Government Forms 'Water and Energy Alliance' with Central Asia... Strengthening Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain

Ministry Signs Three MOUs with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan

Cooperation on Water Resource Management with Turkmenistan

Partnerships with Kazakhstan on Renewable Energy, Clean Energy Transition, and Nuclear Power

Yonhap News Agency

The South Korean government will expand cooperation with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in water resource management, clean energy transition, and the nuclear power sector. Simultaneously, the government plans to broaden its cooperation base with Central Asian countries in the areas of climate, energy, and environment, while facilitating overseas expansion of domestic water and energy companies and strengthening nuclear fuel supply chains.

According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, three Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on climate, energy, and environment were signed with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan during the summit held at the Blue House on September 15. All three MOUs were signed in the presence of the heads of state.

First, the Ministry of Climate signed an MOU with the Turkmenistan Committee for Water Resources in the morning for cooperation in water resource management. The two countries will push for joint initiatives to sustainably manage Turkmenistan's water resources that have become increasingly vulnerable due to arid climate and climate change.

The ministry noted that with this MOU, a foundation has been laid for Korean water companies to participate in the modernization project of the Karakum Canal, Turkmenistan's key water infrastructure and a canal passing through the capital city, Ashgabat.

The government plans to identify specific cooperative projects leveraging Korea's technological competitiveness going forward. Key areas for cooperation include building artificial intelligence (AI)-based flood forecasting systems and 3D water management platforms using digital twin technology. A digital twin is a technology that creates a virtual space identical to reality to support water management decision-making before the occurrence of floods or droughts.

In the afternoon on the same day, the Ministry of Climate and the Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy signed an MOU on cooperation for renewable energy and clean energy transition. Kazakhstan is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 and is promoting the expansion of renewable energy and the enhancement of its power grid. The Korean government sees potential in linking Kazakhstan's abundant wind, hydroelectric, and solar resources with Korea’s capabilities in renewable energy systems, energy storage technology, and related industries.

Based on this MOU, the two countries agreed to institutionalize cooperation channels, such as high-level bilateral policy dialogues in the clean energy sector. Through practical working groups, they will exchange technical information and best practices, and discuss hosting corporate expos and supporting feasibility studies for promising cooperation projects. The government aims to utilize Kazakhstan as a hub for clean energy cooperation in Central Asia.

The Ministry of Climate also signed an MOU on nuclear cooperation with the Kazakhstan Nuclear Agency. This lays the foundation for bilateral nuclear cooperation and expands the scope to include nuclear policy, workforce development, research and development (R&D), and radioactive waste management. As of 2024, Kazakhstan accounted for 38.6% of global uranium production, followed by Canada at 23.7% and Namibia at 12.2%.

Through these three MOUs, the government intends to expand the existing scope of cooperation to Central Asia's water resources, renewable energy, and nuclear power, and plans to identify specific projects through follow-up working-level consultations.

Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Seonghwan stated, "As revealed by the recent massive flood in Nepal, climate change response has become a pressing challenge of our era." He added, "I hope that the signing of these three MOUs will serve as an opportunity to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation to address the climate crisis and accelerate the transition to a decarbonized green economy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.