Expo Astana, which is being held in Kazakhstan, will last until September and is expected to attract over 5 million visitors.

Over 100 countries are participating in Expo Astana, the world’s largest energy fair, whose mission is to serve as a forum for the debate and exhibition of the energies of the future. At the fair, which covers an area of over 25 hectares with the pavilions of the different countries that are participating, visitors can see the latest technologies, innovations and developments in fields such as the reduction of CO₂ emissions, energy efficiency and access to clean energy.

In the context of this fair, which opened in June and is expected to receive over 5 million visitors before it closes in September, Chile’s Energy Ministry organized a “Chile Day” that included a series of cultural and business activities in which a 30-strong public-private delegation participated. The activities included a business seminar, “Chile’s Energy Outlook: Investment Opportunities (Chile-Kazakhstan)” organized jointly with InvestChile to promote the opportunities Chile offers in the energy sector.

The seminar was chaired by Undersecretary for Energy Jimena Jara and speakers included other representatives of the Energy Ministry and of the ProChile export promotion agency, Fundación Imagen de Chile and the government’s Economic Development Agency (CORFO) as well as representatives of the private sector led by Carlos Finat, executive secretary of the Chilean Renewable Energies Association (ACERA). During the seminar, Ian Frederick, head of InvestChile’s Investment Promotion Division, also spoke, emphasizing “Chile’s attractiveness as a market for foreign investment in general and, particularly, for the development of projects related to clean energy for which our country is a natural laboratory.” He pointed out that Chile is not only an ideal place for the development of energy projects but also for investments by multinationals that want to have access to green energy at competitive prices.

The companies and organizations attending the seminar included Astana Solar, Samruk-Energy, the local Kazenergy business association, Home Credit Bank and the Consortium of Central Asia Development (COCAD) as well as local representatives of AES Gener.

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