The president Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the government meeting on February 28 discussed the ways to boost renewable energy sources in Uzbekistan.
According to the presidential press service, the potential of solar and wind energy in the country is 10-12 times higher than the current demand for electricity, but this potential has not been tapped for many years.
Today, the sector has attracted $2.1 billion in foreign direct investment, and projects worth another $13 billion are being implemented. Reportedly, solar and wind power plants are being built in almost all provinces.
In particular, 9 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 1.6 GW were launched in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand and Surkhandarya. In Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya and Tashkent provinces, 6 large and small hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 183 MW were commissioned.
Solar panels with a total capacity of 457 MW have been installed at social facilities, enterprises and organizations, buildings owned by businesses, and residential buildings. For these purposes, banks have allocated loans worth almost 2 trillion soums.
“I have familiarized myself with the preliminary plans for 2024, I am not happy with the figures that [Minister of Energy Zhurabek] Mirzamakhmudov and the province governors have set for themselves. They must draw conclusions from last year and work in this direction at least twice as hard and show concrete results,” the head of state said.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that, based on the experience, it is necessary to move from this year to the implementation of three-year programs for creating large “green energy” capacities.
Based on the needs of the public and economic sectors, over the next three years it is planned to commission 28 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 8 GW, build 944 km of high-voltage power grids and 6 large substations, and install 18 energy storage systems with a capacity of 2.2 GW.
According to the president, to ensure the stability of the energy system, it is necessary to begin now the construction of networks and the production of the necessary materials.
Energy Minister Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov reported that this year 14 stations with a total capacity of 2.6 GW would be launched, to connect them to the network the capacity of 5 substations will be expanded, and 500 km of high-voltage power networks will be built.
The president instructed the minister Mirzamakhmudov to talk with investors and speed up the launch of these 14 stations by 2-3 months. In particular, this year it is expected to launch 11 solar stations with a capacity of 2 GW in Andijan, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan, Samarkand, Tashkent and Fergana provinces, as well as 3 wind stations with a capacity of 600 MW in Bukhara and Navoi provinces.
In general, at the expense of new capacities in 2024, it is planned to produce at least 85 billion kWh, of which 6 billion kWh of electricity will be generated from solar and wind stations.
Mirzamakhmudov was also tasked with ensuring the launch of two energy storage systems with a capacity of 150 MW each in the Andijan and Fergana provinces this year.
The president instructed the Chairman of Uzbekhydroenergo Abdugani Sanginov to begin two projects of pumped storage power plants with a total capacity of 800 MW in the Tashkent province (one of them was planned to be built by the French EDF).
