Uzbekistan to Establish Free Liquefied Gas Market and Introduce Mahalla Energy Passports

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to establish a free market for liquefied gas, introduce energy passports for each mahalla, and expand digital services for energy consumers.

Minister of Energy Sherzod Khodjayev announced the plans in an interview with the O‘zbekiston 24 television channel following a review by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of a report on instructions issued during a 27 July video conference on the fuel and energy sector.

According to the minister, an energy passport will be developed for every mahalla, containing data on the number and categories of consumers, the condition of electrical and gas networks, required repair and modernization expenditures, and opportunities for connecting new subscribers. If existing infrastructure proves insufficient, the document will outline measures for grid expansion.

Another priority will be improving interaction between electricity and natural gas suppliers and the public and business sectors. Khodjayev noted that current mechanisms for handling customer inquiries require modernization. Plans call for developing online platforms integrated with information and billing systems, allowing users to access debt information and other services via a mobile application.

The mobile application is also expected to enable citizens to report electricity and gas outages directly, reducing reliance on call centers. Simultaneously, the ministry plans to increase operator staffing and streamline inquiry processing.

The minister emphasized that special attention will focus on reducing transmission and distribution losses for electricity and natural gas, lowering outstanding debts, and boosting overall operational efficiency across the sector.

To achieve these goals, digital technologies and artificial intelligence tools will be deployed more extensively to assign tasks to personnel, analyze operational risks, identify high-accident areas, and forecast potential failures. According to Khodjayev, this will allow for proactive decision-making regarding capacity expansion and infrastructure modernization.

Developing a competitive environment in the energy market was highlighted as a separate objective, with a specific focus on establishing a free market for liquefied gas.

To that end, current technical regulations will be reviewed to simplify the process for businesses to sell imported liquefied gas to residents and commercial entities while maintaining existing safety standards.