BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. Uzbekistan plans to increase its power generation capacity to 46.1 gigawatts by 2030 and 57.2 GW by 2035.
This was reflected in a statement by the press service of the Uzbek president, following the presentation on the development of the electricity sector and improvements to project management mechanisms in the fuel and energy industry.
According to the report, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev today reviewed the presentation on the development of the electricity sector and improvements to project management mechanisms in the fuel and energy industry.
"Under the plan, Uzbekistan’s annual electricity generation is expected to reach about 129 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 and 154.7 billion kWh by 2035. The presentation noted that Uzbekistan’s economy is targeted to reach $300 billion by 2030, while the population is expected to exceed 41 million. Electricity consumption in the industrial sector alone is projected to increase from 38 billion kWh to 53.5 billion kWh by 2030," the press service said.
In the course of the presentation, it was noted that the development of electric transport and data centers is also expected to create additional electricity demand.
"Energy plans should be developed taking into account the high pace of economic growth, while a sufficient volume of reserve capacity must always be maintained," the press service said.
The president emphasized the need to expand generation capacity ahead of demand growth, increase the capacity of electricity networks and maintain adequate reserve generation.
Several scenarios for electricity consumption were considered. Under moderate demand growth, generation and consumption are expected to remain balanced through 2030. Faster growth in the economy, industry, electric transport and digital infrastructure, however, could require additional generation capacity.
The authorities are considering proposals to build additional wind power plants and energy storage systems, while accelerating solar and wind energy projects.
At the same time, Mirziyoyev called for a review of projects with low economic efficiency, unclear financing sources or prolonged implementation periods. New generation projects are to be assessed not only by capacity, but also by electricity production costs, grid connectivity, compatibility with energy storage systems and their impact on the overall energy balance.
Energy storage is expected to become increasingly important as the share of renewable energy grows. Storage systems can accumulate electricity generated by solar and wind plants during the day and supply it to the grid during evening peak demand, reducing the need for additional gas-fired generation.
Uzbekistan currently has 26 energy storage projects with a combined capacity of 4.2 GW, of which 17 projects are under implementation. The authorities have proposed developing additional storage projects through 2030.
