Uzbekistan Sets Up Energy Task Force in Yangiyul District

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A special task force will be established in Yangiyul district of the Tashkent region to address problems with electricity and gas supplies. It will be headed by Energy Minister Sherzod Khojayev, with district hokim San’at Jumaniyazov serving as deputy head. The decision was announced at a meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on priorities in the fuel and energy sector.

Yangiyul district was selected as an example for assessing the local energy supply situation. Over the past five years, electricity consumption there has increased from 68 million kWh to 102 million kWh, or 1.5 times. At the same time, only 240 km of the district’s 1,400 km of networks have been upgraded, along with 60 of its 240 transformers.

Since the beginning of the year, electricity losses in the district have reached 30 million kWh, while the number of network accidents has totaled 37. Outstanding electricity payments have reached 43 billion soums, including 9.4 billion soums in debts deemed unrecoverable.

Problems have also been identified with metering. Meters belonging to 829 subscribers do not meet the requirements of the automated system for control and metering of electricity consumption (ASKUE), while about 2,000 other devices do not transmit data to the system. At the same time, 48 companies that have not paid taxes this year consumed 871,000 kWh of electricity over six months.

The gas supply situation is also difficult. More than 5,000 gas meters are not transmitting data to the billing system. Consumer gas debts have reached 188 billion soums. Combined electricity and gas debts exceed 230 billion soums.

The task force has been instructed to study monthly, quarterly and annual energy needs of households and businesses in all 51 mahallas of the district within two weeks. An energy consumption balance is to be drawn up based on the findings.

The task force must also identify areas requiring upgrades to transformers and gas distribution stations, replace outdated meters and ensure uninterrupted transmission of data from all devices to the ASKUE and ASKUG systems.

A separate programme will be developed to halve electricity and gas losses, with funding sources identified. Energy audits will be conducted at major enterprises, with funding allocated for the introduction of energy-saving technologies.

Clinics, hospitals and educational institutions will be divided into categories according to their level of energy consumption. Heating systems in apartment buildings will be inspected, while work with debtors will be organised on a street-by-street basis.

Yangiyul district is planned to become a model district for electricity and gas supply management by 1 October.

The experience of Yangiyul will then be used in the modernization of the energy sector across the country. Industry leaders will be assigned to districts facing the most difficult situations and will work jointly with hokims.

Officials are required to assess the state of energy supplies for households and businesses and determine work plans through the end of 2026 and for 2027. Local authorities also plan to demonstrate solutions for metering electricity and gas, reducing network losses and cutting outstanding debts.