Uzbekistan Unveils Power Gen Goals
Uzbekistan's energy ministry published proposals for a 10-year strategy on May 4 to develop the country's power generation sector to meet its growing electricity needs.
The strategy's priorities include modernising and refurbishing existing capacity, building power plants using energy-efficient technologies and improving power metering systems. It is also focused on diversifying fuel sources, developing renewables, particularly solar power, and introducing legal reforms to improve tariff policies and help with the transition towards a wholesale power market.
Uzbekistan's main fuel for power supply is gas, accounting for around two thirds of its generation mix. Among the strategy's specific aims are a growth in available generation capacity from 12.9 to 29.3 GW by 2030, resulting in an increase in power production from 63.6bn to 120.8bn kWh.
Uzbekistan also aims to cut gas consumption in the power industry from 16.5bn to 12.1bn m3, and reduce electricity transmission losses to 2.35% and distribution losses to 6.5%.
"Our new concept note outlines a comprehensive strategy to satisfy the increasing demand for electrical power in Uzbekistan," Uzbek energy minister Alisher Sultanov said. "It also means our power sector’s development will continue in line with international best practice. The strategy is ambitious in scope, but grounded in realism with practical and achievable goals to reach by 2030."
The ministry added that while the state would remain the owner of hydroelectric power plants, Uzbekistan's planned nuclear power plant and some of its thermal power plants in 2030, it is envisaged that most of the country's electricity stations will be in private hands by then.