Photo courtesy of uztag.info
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inaugurated 24 energy projects with a total investment of $7.2 billion during a ceremony on December 13, the presidential press service reported. Eighteen of the projects were launched, and construction began on six others.
Specifically, five solar and wind power plants with a combined capacity of approximately 2.3 GW, along with five high-voltage substations, were connected to the grid in the Bukhara, Navoi, Namangan, and Tashkent regions.
Uzbekistan's first energy storage system, with a capacity of 300 MW, was introduced in the Andijan and Fergana regions. A 400 MW power station was commissioned in Kashkadarya, while a modern cogeneration plant was launched in Tashkent. Four small hydroelectric power stations were also opened in Andijan, Surkhandarya, and the Tashkent region.
Construction began on six new energy facilities with a total capacity of 2.5 GW in the Fergana, Samarkand, Navoi, and Tashkent regions, as well as in the city of Tashkent.
“These new projects will allow for an additional 9.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity production annually, saving 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas and preventing 4.6 million tons of harmful gas emissions. Most importantly, over 4 million households will receive uninterrupted and environmentally clean energy,” the press service noted.
It is projected that Uzbekistan will generate 84 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2025—25 billion, or 1.5 times, more than in 2016, prior to the change of leadership.
During the ceremony, President Mirziyoyev highlighted that all these projects are being implemented through direct foreign investments. He expressed gratitude for the cooperation of companies from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China, and Germany, as well as international institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank.
Mirziyoyev outlined four priority directions for the energy sector:
First, by 2030, additional “green capacities” of 19 GW will be built, increasing the share of renewable energy to 54%. A large-scale program will be implemented over the next two years, in partnership with private investors, to construct more than 2,000 small and micro-hydropower plants.
Second, by the end of 2025, a competitive wholesale electricity market is expected to emerge in Uzbekistan. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) will be introduced into energy distribution, attracting $4 billion in investments for grid modernization. The Samarkand region has developed the first project to transfer management of regional power grids to the private sector, with an international tender already announced.
Third, international cooperation in “green energy” will be expanded. Under COP-29 agreements, Uzbekistan has signed deals with Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia to jointly export “green energy” to Europe and launched a unified platform to ensure regional energy system stability.
Fourth, the development of “green energy” will become a new driver for other economic sectors and will improve the population’s quality of life. Solar panels with a total capacity of 1 GW have already been installed across the country, enabling the annual production of 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Support for “green” initiatives will continue through the introduction of dual education programs to train specialists.
“Today’s event marks a new chapter in our nation’s energy history. These projects will not only drive economic growth but also create a clean and sustainable future for our descendants,” Mirziyoyev said.
He emphasized that, over the past five years, Uzbekistan’s energy sector has attracted nearly $20 billion in direct foreign investments. In an industry previously monopolized by the state, 24 independent energy producers are now operating.
