Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan is considering Afghanistan and South Asian countries as potential destinations for electricity exports, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on 16 October during an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector.
A key priority for the energy sector will be modernising power grids and expanding energy storage infrastructure. According to the president, investment in upgrading the country’s electricity networks has exceeded US$2 billion since 2021.
By 2030, Uzbekistan plans to build 5,000 km of power transmission lines and 16 major substations, while increasing energy storage capacity to 4.5 GW. Most of the new projects will be implemented in Karakalpakstan and the Bukhara, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Namangan, Kashkadarya and Tashkent regions.
Priority will be given to integrated projects combining electricity generation, storage and transmission. Investors are also expected to be involved in building pumped-storage hydropower plants to enable long-term energy storage.
Uzbekistan also intends to expand its export opportunities beyond regional markets. Mirziyoyev said a project to establish an energy corridor through the Caspian Sea with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to supply green electricity to Europe is moving towards practical implementation.
Afghanistan and other South Asian countries have also been identified as promising markets for Uzbek electricity exports.
