Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 13 January 2021, a meeting of the Senate Committee on the Development of the Aral Sea Region was held to discuss ongoing work on the use of solar and wind energy in the sectors of the economy, at social facilities and in residential premises of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, as well as the essence and content of the priority areas of the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026.

It was attended by senators, experts of the Committee, senior officials of ministries and departments, representatives of the media and the public.

First, the participants discussed the ongoing work on the use of solar and wind energy in the sectors of the economy, at social facilities and in residential premises of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

It was noted that hydrocarbon reserves are declining every year, oil and gas prices are growing on the world market, which, in turn, requires humanity to widely introduce the use of solar, wind and other renewable energy sources.

In our country, as a result of the acceleration of reforms, the development of industry, and population growth, the demand for energy will increase sharply, which will almost double by 2030.

Based on this, one of the most important national goals and targets in the field of sustainable development until 2030 is a significant increase in the share of energy obtained from renewable sources. Some practical work is being carried out in this direction.

At the meeting, it was noted that low energy efficiency in the sectors of the economy, irrational use of natural resources, inertia in updating technologies, insufficient participation of the private sector in the implementation of innovative solutions for the development of the "green economy" can affect the achievement of priority national goals and objectives in the field of sustainable development of the country.

One of the topical areas in this regard is to increase the energy efficiency of economic and social sectors, the widespread introduction of renewable energy sources while providing the population with affordable and affordable energy.

It was especially noted that for this purpose, in 2022, it is planned to sign a project agreement for the construction of a wind farm with a capacity of 1,700 MW in Karakalpakstan.

In addition, it was proposed to develop a program for the systemic organization of the use of renewable energy sources, including solar and wind, in sectors of the economy, at social facilities and in residential premises of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

The importance of attracting foreign investment and local entrepreneurs in the field and training personnel through the introduction of tax, customs and other benefits provided for by the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the use of renewable energy sources” was emphasized.

It was also noted at the meeting that in the draft Strategy for the Development of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, submitted for public discussion, special attention is paid to ensuring the economic and social development of the country through the expansion of the use of renewable energy sources, in particular solar and wind energy.

The draft document is aimed at the uninterrupted supply of electricity to the economy and the active introduction of Green Economy technologies in all areas, increasing the energy efficiency of the economy by 20% and reducing emissions of harmful gases by 10%.

Participants noted that the Strategy reflected the introduction of modern "green" and energy-saving technologies for the accelerated development of electricity generation capacities, taking into account the increase in the share of the private sector in the energy sector.

It was noted that the draft Strategy also set the goal of increasing the electricity production by another 40 billion kWh by 2026, bringing it in general to 110 billion kWh, saving about 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year by increasing the share of renewable energy sources to 25% by 2026 and reduce the amount of harmful gases emitted into the air by 8 million tons.

In this direction, it is planned to develop a program to expand and support the use of renewable energy sources, which covers the creation of additional capacities in the amount of 4 GW through the construction of 8 wind farms in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regions, 4 GW through the launch of 10 solar photovoltaic stations.

The meeting participants emphasized that reducing losses in industry and increasing the efficiency of resource use, the widespread introduction of renewable energy sources in housing and communal services, at social facilities and in other areas are one of the most important factors in economic development.

In accordance with the draft document, the procedure for including the component of the use of renewable energy sources in the production of heat and electricity for own needs within the framework of projects implemented at the expense of international financial organizations is being introduced.