Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Part of the electricity demand in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana, Andijan and Namangan regions is met by power generated in other parts of the country.
Electricity demand on the grid is expected to rise as new industrial zones and major enterprises come online. The issue was discussed on 16 October during an open dialogue between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and investors in the fuel and energy sector.
The president noted that, during the initial stage of the sector’s development, the priority was to rapidly build new renewable energy generation capacity.
Projects were located in regions proposed by investors themselves. This approach helped attract substantial investment and accelerate power generation development, but it also led to excess capacity in some regions. As a result, the cost of transmitting electricity to other parts of the country has increased.
Mirziyoyev stressed that Uzbekistan needs not merely a collection of individual power plants, but an interconnected energy system in which electricity generation and transmission are aligned with regional demand.
To achieve this, the government plans to determine in advance where and what type of generation capacity is needed, then put prepared projects out to open tenders. A map showing opportunities for connecting to the electricity grid is scheduled to be presented by 1 March 2027.
Particular attention will be given to the integrated development of electricity generation, transmission and storage. Priority is expected to be given to projects combining all three components.
By 2030, Uzbekistan plans to build 5,000 km of power lines and 16 major substations. Energy storage capacity is expected to increase to 4.5 GW.
Most of the projects will be implemented in Karakalpakstan and the Bukhara, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Namangan, Kashkadarya and Tashkent regions.
Uzbekistan also intends to expand private-sector participation in distribution networks. This is expected to help reduce electricity losses and improve service quality for consumers.
The experience gained in the Samarkand region is expected to be extended to the Jizzakh and Tashkent regions.
