BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 22. Uzbekistan's enterprises produced 4.3 million cubic meters of gas in January 2023, Trend reports via the Uzbek State Statistics Committee.
This figure decreased by 7.5 percent, compared to the reporting period in 2022 (4.6 million cubic meters).
The committee noted that the manufacturing of gas condensate in Uzbekistan also declined, and amounted to 109,400 tons – a decrease of 9.1 percent.
Due to the growing cold weather and the lack of an effective control system, the gas output in Uzbekistan from January through December 2022 decreased by 4 percent compared to the reporting period in 2021, totaling 51.7 billion cubic meters.
Moreover, earlier in January of this year, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov announced that the country would increase gas production by 4.6 billion cubic meters in 2023 – up to 56.3 billion cubic meters.
Aripov also instructed Uzbekneftegaz to increase natural gas production to 32.8 billion cubic meters this year, by implementing 744 geological and technical measures worth 5.7 trillion soums ($503.3 million).
At the same time, Uzbekistan also intends to save 1.6 billion cubic meters of gas through the deployment of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. In this regard, in February, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev adopted a Resolution "On measures to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy sources and energy-saving technologies in 2023".
According to the Resolution, Uzbekistan will put into operation large solar and wind power plants – with a capacity of 2,100 MW, solar panels installed on buildings and structures of social facilities and economic entities, households – with a capacity of 1,200 MW, small solar power plants installed by entrepreneurs - with a capacity of 550 MW.
