Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan will develop and publicly release its first National Energy Master Plan through 2050.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the initiative on 16 October during an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector.
The work will be carried out in two stages. A map of opportunities for connecting to the electricity grid will be presented by 1 March next year, followed by the full master plan by 1 July.
According to the president, the documents will identify regions where electricity demand is expected to grow, the infrastructure required to meet that demand and the locations where new generation capacity would operate most efficiently. This will help investors make long-term plans.
In his closing remarks, Mirziyoyev said the master plan would be prepared jointly with partners.
The plan will serve as the basis for a new project selection procedure. Previously, companies often proposed their own sites for power plant construction.
This approach accelerated the deployment of renewable energy capacity but led to its concentration in certain regions and increased electricity transmission costs.
The president said Uzbekistan needed an interconnected energy system rather than a collection of individual power plants.
Under the new approach, the government will determine in advance where and what type of generation capacity is needed, prepare projects and put them out to open tenders.
The first stage will involve tenders for six solar and wind power plants with a combined capacity of 2,200 MW.
Participants in the meeting supported the shift towards long-term planning. Masdar Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said recent reforms and a presidential decree had established a clear direction for the sector’s development through 2050.
He said long-term planning, reliable conditions and transparent tenders provide investors with the stability and predictability needed to commit capital.
By 2030, Uzbekistan plans to add 22,000 MW of new generation capacity, increase annual electricity production to more than 129 billion kWh and raise the share of renewable energy sources to 54%.
