Green Energy Becomes One of the Drivers of Our Economy and a Truly National Movement

On February 28, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on priority tasks for increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

Analysis shows that the potential of solar and wind energy in our country is 10 to 12 times higher than the current demand for electricity. However, such significant opportunities have not been exploited over the years.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has paid considerable attention to this sector and has put in place an appropriate legal framework. Major programs have been launched to create «green energy» production capacity. An attractive environment for investors has been created.

To date, the industry has attracted US$2,1 billion of foreign direct investment, and projects worth a further US$13 billion are being implemented. Modern solar and wind power plants are being built in almost all regions.

In particular, 9 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 1,6 gigawatts have been installed in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand and Surkhandarya. Six large and small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 183 megawatts were commissioned in the regions of Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya and Tashkent.

Solar panels with a total capacity of 457 megawatts have also been installed in social facilities, enterprises and organizations, buildings owned by entrepreneurs and residential buildings. Nearly 2 trillion Uzbek soums have been provided by banks for this purpose.

This will generate an additional 5 billion kilowatt hours of clean electricity and save 1,5 billion cubic meters of gas.

The extensive work carried out in the industry has also contributed significantly to an increase in the production of transformers, various types of cables, heat collectors, solar panels, insulators, metal structures and other products by local enterprises.

In short, green energy is becoming one of the drivers of our economy and a truly national movement.

In 2024, green energy production will reach 13 billion kilowatt-hours, accounting for 15% of the country’s total energy mix. For such a short period of time, this is certainly a very impressive indicator.

However, there are still many opportunities that are not being fully exploited in all regions.

In this regard, the new plans to increase the use of renewable energy and the related infrastructure development were discussed at the meeting.

The Head of State stressed that, based on the experience gained, it is necessary to move from this year to the implementation of three-year programmes for the creation of large capacities of «green energy».

Based on the needs of the population and the economic sectors, 28 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 8 gigawatts will be commissioned over the next three years. 944 kilometres of high-voltage grids and 6 large substations will be built. There will be 18 energy storage facilities with a capacity of 2,2 gigawatts. The need to start building networks and producing the necessary materials now to ensure the stability of the energy system has been identified.

The Minister of Energy reported that this year 14 plants with a total capacity of 2,6 gigawatts will be launched, for which the capacity of 5 substations will be expanded, and 500 kilometers of high voltage grids will be built.

In general, at least 85 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be generated from new capacity this year, including 6 billion kilowatt-hours from solar and wind power stations.
Progress in the installation of solar panels in the field was also reviewed.

In order to increase the interest of the population, the «Sunny House» programme is being implemented in our country. In accordance with this programme, residents who installed solar panels were paid 1 thousand Uzbek soums per kilowatt of electricity. Currently, about 11 thousand homeowners are effectively using this opportunity.

It was noted that in order to expand this work, the attractiveness and continued support of solar panel users should be further enhanced. An additional US$50 million of resources and a further US$100 million in foreign investment will be attracted for this purpose.

Entrepreneurs will also be offered additional incentives to use solar energy. In particular, customs exemptions on imports of solar panels, inverters and batteries will be extended for another five years.

Responsible officials have been instructed to develop a separate programme for the use of renewable energy sources in such energy-intensive sectors such as agriculture, water management and drinking water.

Related industries have also benefited from the development of this sector. In particular, the creation of large solar and wind power plants, their connection to the network, maintenance and repair will open up a market of at least US$1 billion for domestic enterprises.

Therefore, it is planned to implement projects for the production of solar panels, batteries, inverters and water heaters in the Karshi solar cluster, cables and transformers in the Akhangaron industrial zone, and solar panels in the city of Nukus and Andijan district.

The President gave instructions to assist domestic enterprises to obtain international quality certificates and bring production up to international standards.

The Minister of Energy and khokims reported on plans to organize work on the tasks set at the meeting.