Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to implement 73 hydropower projects worth US$5.8 billion and add 3.6 gigawatts of new capacity by 2032, according to an article by Islom Abdurakhmonov, chairman of the board of UzHydroEnergy JSC, published in Halk Suzi newspaper on 20 September 2026.
The new stage of hydropower development was established by a presidential resolution dated 1 May this year.
In 2026 alone, the commissioning of 13 hydropower plants is expected to add 114 megawatts of capacity, generate 537 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and create 254 jobs.
A separate part of the programme focuses on developing small and micro hydropower plants. According to the article, a plan to build 2,983 small and micro hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 164 megawatts was recently discussed at a presentation attended by the president.
The procedures for designing and constructing facilities with a capacity of up to 100 kilowatts are being simplified. Water management facilities will also be allowed to build small and micro hydropower plants for their own needs without an auction for installations with a capacity of up to 50 kilowatts.
Part of the programme has already been implemented. Ahead of Uzbekistan’s 35th Independence Anniversary, the 20-megawatt Chorbog wind power plant was commissioned in Tashkent region’s Bostanlyk District. The plant is expected to generate 50 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
In Kashkadarya region, the 6.2-megawatt Rabat hydropower plant has been commissioned, with average annual generation of 26.2 million kilowatt-hours. This is sufficient to supply around 11,000 households, while the plant’s operation is expected to save 8 million cubic metres of natural gas and 6,700 tonnes of coal annually.
The 0.5-megawatt Zarchob-3A micro hydropower plant has been commissioned in Surkhandarya region. Meanwhile, construction of a cascade of hydropower plants on the Kishtu River in the upper reaches of the Tupolang River is continuing. The project envisages 42 small hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 541 megawatts and potential annual generation of around 1.9 billion kilowatt-hours.
In Namangan region, the Kugay-1 and Kugay-2 small hydropower plants, with a combined capacity of 18 megawatts, have been commissioned on the Big Andijan Canal. Their average annual generation of 132.1 million kilowatt-hours will cover the needs of around 53,000 households and enable annual savings of up to 40 million cubic metres of natural gas or 33,000 tonnes of coal.
According to Abdurakhmonov, localisation of technology is becoming a key condition for implementing the programme. Uzbekistan has established the UzHydroPower plant, specialising in the production of hydropower units and technological equipment, while the first stage of the Naryn hydropower cascade has already been implemented under the “national project” model.
