The USAID Power Central Asia team traveled to Aktau for a week, which ended October 20, to conduct a series of consultations with key stakeholders. Consultations centered on progress on an ongoing renewable energy grid integration study and what to prioritize for improvement, with a focus on daily operations of the distribution grid and identifying gaps in the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and metering system operation.
Here’s a recap of the key highlights:

• On October 17 and 18, the team organized a workshop on power grid modeling using DigSILENT software for technical personnel of Mangystau DisCo, equipping them with the skills to perform both static and dynamic stability analyses. Afterwards, USAID Power Central Asia awarded certificates to 14 participants to recognize their accomplishments.
• Furthering the consultation’s outreach, the team met with the Engineering Department at Yessenov University, where they delivered insights into ongoing activities and provided educational materials covering renewable energy, decarbonization, and the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.
• The trip culminated with a stakeholder consultation meeting, where the team presented the study results for renewable energy integration and grid expansion. Representatives joined from the Mangystau Department of the Committee for Regulation of Natural Monopolies, MAEK, Yessenov University, Aktau Management of Electrical Networks Company, and other stakeholders, all of whom expressed support for the study outcomes.