On June 23, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on measures to supply major industrial enterprises with green energy.
Uzbekistan is rapidly developing its green energy sector. In a short period, nearly $6 billion in direct foreign investment has been attracted to the industry. Electricity production has increased from 59 billion to 82 billion kilowatt-hours per year.
By 2030, Uzbekistan’s population is expected to exceed 41 million, and the national economy to reach $200 billion. This projected growth will require a substantial expansion of energy capacity. In response, efforts are being made to utilize renewable energy sources extensively.
The presentation outlined current projects and plans for the near future. The main priorities include expanding power generation, modernizing infrastructure, and improving energy efficiency.
This year, 12 solar power plants, 4 wind power plants, and 12 energy storage systems are scheduled to be launched. The total investment for these projects exceeds $5 billion, with a combined generation capacity of approximately 9 billion kilowatt-hours. In addition, construction will begin on 11 more projects totaling $7.2 billion.
Alongside electricity production, the rational use of energy is also essential. The President has set a clear objective to reduce energy losses and install energy-efficient equipment, particularly at large industrial enterprises.
Eighteen sectors of the economy account for one-third of the country’s total electricity consumption. For example, water pumps in the national irrigation system alone consume 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
In this regard, the modernization of 12 major pumping stations is planned, with the installation of solar power plants with a capacity of 75-100 megawatts and 50-megawatt energy storage systems next to each facility. As a result, annual energy consumption by the pumps will be reduced by 2 billion kilowatt-hours, from 6.5 to 4.5 billion. This initiative will begin primarily with the Qarshi Main Canal, which has exceptionally high water delivery costs.
Enterprises in the oil and gas sector also have the potential to generate at least 600 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually by installing photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 240 megawatts and 300 megawatts of storage systems.
Overall, measures to transition 18 high-energy-consuming industries to autonomous energy supply systems were addressed at the meeting.
