Uzbekistan and RusHydro discuss cooperation in the field of hydropower

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A working meeting of the Chairman of the Board - Director General of RusHydro Nikolay Shulginov and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jamshid Kuchkarov was held in Moscow.

The main topic of the meeting was development of interaction and cooperation between RusHydro and the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of hydropower. During this meeting, the parties discussed the current state of cooperation in implementation of intercorporate documents and existing contracts, signed between RusHydro Group companies and UzbekHydroenergo, as well as the prospects for expanding joint activities in the design, construction of new and reconstruction of existing hydroelectric power plants in Uzbekistan.

The parties confirmed their intentions to adhere to the previously reached agreements, including the creation of a joint group between Institute Hydroproject (institute of the RusHydro Group) and Hydroproject (Uzbekgidroenergo company), as well as on conclusion of an agreement between the organizations on the development of the feasibility study for the project Construction of Mullak Hydroelectric Power Station (240 MW) ".

Members of the delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan informed the RusHydro management about the current state and plans for the development of the country’s power industry. In particular, the Uzbek colleagues noted that in the country’s energy balance, hydropower generation is only 13%, and Uzbekistan sees expedient further development and modernization of hydropower, both within the country and through the implementation of import-oriented projects in water-rich neighboring countries.

Nikolay Shulginov noted that the companies of the RusHydro Group have been in close contact with their Uzbek colleagues for more than a year and are ready to implement mutually beneficial projects in the field of research and development works and the design of hydroelectric power plants.

In November 2017, RusHydro and Uzbekgidroenergo signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the field of hydropower, and Lengidroproekt signed an agreement to perform certain types of work and provide consulting services in the development of a feasibility study for an investment project for the construction of the Pskemskaya HPP (404 MW) on the Pskem River in Tashkent region.

During the First Forum of Interregional Cooperation between Russia and Uzbekistan with the participation of the Heads of State on October 19, 2018, RusHydro and Uzbekgidroenergo signed an Agreement on mutual understanding and cooperation in the field of hydropower.

The key point of the agreement is creation on the basis of design institutes of a working group, which in the first quarter of 2019 will begin to develop a feasibility study for construction of the Mullalak 240 MW hydroelectric power station and Verkhnepsemskaya hydroelectric power station with a 200 MW hydroelectric power on the Pskem river in Uzbekistan, including the design and survey and research papers.

At the conclusion of the negotiations, the parties confirmed their readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation and agreed to expand the list of projects for which subsequent negotiations and pre-project elaboration will be conducted.