Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 28 January, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting dedicated to measures for the development of the energy sector for the period of 2025–2035.

Over the past eight years, electricity production in Uzbekistan has increased by 38%, reaching 81.5 billion kilowatt-hours. As a result of opportunities opened up for the private sector, 11.2 gigawatts of new capacity have been created, allowing the private sector’s share in generation to rise to 24%, while the share of “green” energy has increased to 16%.

During this period, household income has risen by 1.6 times, and electricity consumption in households has increased by 21 billion kilowatt-hours, which is twice as much as in 2016, due to the use of new types of household appliances.

By 2030, it is expected that the country’s population will reach 41 million, and the economy will grow by 1.5 times. To achieve these goals, it is planned to create added value in industry amounting to 45 billion dollars, triple the volume of services, and launch large data centers. This will require stable power supply. According to calculations, by 2030, 117 billion kilowatt-hours will be needed, and by 2035, 135 billion kilowatt-hours, which is 1.7 times more than the current consumption.

The Minister of Energy presented a long-term program to achieve these goals. As part of the program, new power plants and energy storage capacities will be built. To connect these facilities to the system, 7,000 kilometers of transmission lines will be laid, and digital management will be implemented to ensure the energy balance in regions. In the event of an electricity shortage in one region, additional capacities will be redirected from another. To implement these works, it will be necessary to attract 4 billion dollars in investments for the “National Electric Networks of Uzbekistan” over the next five years.

One of the key tasks is to reduce the cost of electricity production. In particular, the cost of producing one kilowatt-hour at thermal power plants is 5–6 cents, while at solar and wind stations it averages 3 cents. Global experts highlight the significant opportunities for the development of “green” energy in Uzbekistan.

By 2030, the share of “green” energy in total generation is planned to exceed 50%. To achieve this, it is expected that 3,000 micro-hydropower plants with a total capacity of 164 megawatts, as well as small solar and wind stations with a capacity of 750 megawatts, will be put into operation.

The President emphasized that the time has come to transition to a resource-saving economy model. One of the key directions will be to increase energy efficiency in industry, which will create an additional 27% of gross domestic product. Energy consumption is particularly high at local enterprises in the chemical and metallurgical industries, where it is twice as high as the global average, and in the cement industry, it is 1.2 times higher.

To this end, the task is to save 10–15% of energy in each industry and reduce electricity losses from the current 14% to 8–9% by 2030.

Projects with foreign investors, totaling 24 gigawatts at a cost of 26 billion dollars, have been launched. These projects will involve a large amount of equipment and building materials, which will create opportunities for local enterprises. It is important to develop localization and cooperation within the framework of these projects.

Tasks have also been defined for ensuring stable electricity supply and the development of human resources in the energy sector. Responsible individuals have been instructed to develop a program for the development of the energy sector through 2035, taking into account all the discussed aspects.