The Silk Road Energy Joint Technology Innovation R&D Center in Uzbekistan, initiated by China Datang, kicked off its first Energy Elite Program, providing training for Uzbek management and technical personnel in the country's energy sector on Dec. 10.

Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Zou Lei, Chairman of China Datang, attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the program.

The ceremony was also attended by Umid Mamadaminov, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Li Jianwei, Vice President of China Datang, along with other senior executives and representatives from China Datang, China Datang's cooperative partner Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC), as well as relevant Uzbek government departments and enterprises.

Zou Lei, Chairman of China Datang, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony

In the speech delivered at the opening ceremony, Mirzamahmudov expressed gratitude to China Datang for its contributions to the transformation of Uzbekistan's energy sector. He noted that the cooperation between Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy and China Datang has made positive progress in fields such as photovoltaics, wind power, and smart energy.

The successful launch of the training session marks the beginning of a brand new chapter in the pragmatic cooperation between the two sides in talent cultivation and sci-tech exchanges, which will play an important role in the introduction of advanced technologies and the formulation of electricity standards in Uzbekistan, Mirzamahmudov said.

The training session features lectures on various aspects of energy development, delivered by experts and scholars sent by China Datang and its partners, including DEC. The training will effectively improve the professional expertise of Uzbekistan's young energy professionals, Mirzamahmudov said. He expressed the hope that all professionals taking part in the training session would take full advantage of this opportunity to earnestly learn from Chinese experts and scholars, so as to better serve Uzbekistan's energy sector in areas such as power grid operations and new energy development, and further optimize and advance the country's electricity industry.

Zou congratulated the R&D Center on the successful launch of the training session on behalf of China Datang and other participating Chinese enterprises. He described the training as an important step forward in bilateral cooperation in sci-tech innovation and talent training, and encouraged the center to make new strides in serving national development goals, riding the global development trend, contributing to long-term planning for cooperation between China and Uzbekistan, and cultivating outstanding talents.

Zou said that the center should focus on the construction of a new type of energy system that will facilitate the transformation of Uzbekistan's energy sector, and establish a platform for new energy-related innovation and sci-tech exchanges.

The center should comprehensively showcase mainstream technologies and promote their introduction and application, with a focus on the latest advancements in such areas as new energy, energy storage, hydrogen energy, and smart power grids, according to Zou.

The center should also provide high-quality, targeted training and make the training program a key project for energy cooperation between the two countries, Zou said.

Through various forms of activities, including training, field research, and symposiums, the center is expected to concentrate efforts on sharpening relevant personnel's capabilities of strategic thinking, leadership, science-based decision-making, and, in particular, their organizational and management ability for harnessing advanced technologies and following world-class standards, he added. 

Chinese and Uzbek personnel participate in the opening ceremony

The training session is scheduled to run from Dec. 10 to 16 at the Tashkent State Technical University. Around 30 key management and technical personnel from Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy, the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan, power companies, and other organizations in the country's electricity industry have taken part in the training. Representatives and experts from China Datang, DEC, and other Chinese enterprises have been arranged to deliver lectures on topics such as China’s energy storage-related policies, practices, and technologies, as well as wind and solar power technologies.