Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The 1,600 MW Syrdarya-2 combined-cycle power plant will begin strengthening Uzbekistan’s power system during the upcoming winter season.
Cedric Leboucher, EDF’s Executive Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, made the announcement at a meeting between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and investors in the fuel and energy sector on 16 October.
“We are now completing construction of the 1,600 MW Syrdarya-2 combined-cycle power plant. This winter, the plant will begin strengthening the country’s energy system,” Leboucher said in a report by Uzbekistan 24 television.
He also said that 75% of construction work had been completed on a 1,600 MW combined-cycle power plant in the Surkhandarya region. The project is being implemented jointly with Germany’s Siemens and Qatar’s Nebras.
Another area of cooperation is renewable energy development. According to Leboucher, EDF has signed a memorandum with Eolus to implement a 500 MW wind power project in the Bukhara area. The project also includes an energy storage system.
The French company is also interested in modernising Uzbekistan’s electricity grids through public-private partnerships. Leboucher noted that EDF has experience in electricity transmission and distribution and is ready to apply its expertise in Uzbekistan. The company also plans to expand cooperation in training specialists for the energy sector.
Syrdarya-2 is located in the Bayaut district of the Syrdarya region. The project is being implemented by a consortium comprising EDF, Qatar’s Nebras Power and Japan’s Sojitz and Kyuden. The consortium won an international tender in November 2021. According to previously published information, the plant has a capacity of 1,573 MW, and the project is estimated to cost US$900 million.
The plant is expected to generate 13 billion kWh of electricity annually. With an efficiency rate of 61.7%, it is projected to save around 1.1 billion cubic metres of natural gas each year. The facility’s launch ceremony took place on 25 August 2026.
However, on 25 September, an emergency shutdown of 1,600 MW of capacity occurred during testing and commissioning.
The activation of emergency protection systems caused power supply disruptions in several regions. Reserve capacity at other power plants and energy storage systems were used to restore electricity supplies.
Questions have also arisen over the power plant project in the Surkhandarya region. At a meeting on 27 July, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticised the choice of site for its construction.
He said that the project's location would require an additional US$300 million to bring gas supplies to the facility.
The president also pointed to insufficiently developed contractual terms with the project's initiator and instructed officials to revise the contract.
