On February 28, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting on priorities for increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

Analysis shows that the potential of solar and wind energy in Uzbekistan is 10-12 times higher than the current electricity demand. However, such significant opportunities have not been used for many years.

The state has been paying great attention to this sector in recent years and has created an appropriate legal framework. Significant programs have been launched to develop green energy production capacities. An attractive environment for investors has been created.

Today, the industry has attracted $2.1 billion in foreign direct investment, and projects worth another $13 billion are being implemented. Modern solar and wind power plants are being built in almost all regions.

In particular, nine large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts were launched in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand, and Surkhandarya. In Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya, and Tashkent regions, six large and small hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 183 megawatts were put into operation.

Solar panels with a total capacity of 457 megawatts have been installed at social facilities, enterprises and organizations, buildings owned by entrepreneurs, and residential buildings. For these purposes, banks allocated resources of almost 2 trillion UZS.

As a result, the opportunity has been created to produce an additional 5 billion kilowatt-hours of environmentally friendly electricity and save 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas.

The large-scale work launched in the industry has also significantly contributed to the increase in the production of transformers, various types of cables, thermal collectors, solar panels, insulators, metal structures, and other products by local enterprises.

In a word, green energy is becoming one of the drivers of the country’s economy and a nationwide movement.

In 2024, the production volume of green energy will reach 13 billion kilowatt-hours, and its share in the country’s overall energy balance will be 15 percent. For such a short period, this is, of course, a very impressive indicator.

However, many opportunities in the sphere are still not fully used in all regions.

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

The Head of state emphasized that, based on the accumulated experience, it is necessary to move from this year to implementing three-year programs to create large green energy capacities.

Based on the needs of the population and 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 kilometers of high-voltage power grids and six large substations will be built, and 18 energy storage systems with a capacity of 2.2 gigawatts will be installed. To ensure the stability of the energy system, the need was noted to begin building networks and producing the necessary materials.

The Minister of Energy reported that 14 stations with a total capacity of 2.6 gigawatts will be launched this year. To connect them to the network, the capacity of 5 substations will be expanded, and 500 kilometers of high-voltage power networks will be built.

In total, at least 85 billion kilowatt-hours will be produced this year due to new capacities, of which 6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be generated from solar and wind stations.

The progress of work on installing solar panels at places was also reviewed.

Uzbekistan has developed a “Solar Home” program to increase the population’s interest. According to this program, residents who install solar panels are paid 1 thousand UZS for every kilowatt of electricity. Currently, about 11 thousand homeowners are effectively using this opportunity.

It was noted that to expand this work, it is necessary to increase the attractiveness and continue supporting solar panel users. It is planned to allocate an additional $50 million in resources for these purposes and attract another $100 million in foreign investment.

Additional benefits will also be created for entrepreneurs in solar energy use. In particular, customs benefits for the import of solar panels, inverters, and batteries will be extended for another five years.

Responsible persons have been instructed to develop a separate program for using renewable energy sources in such energy-intensive sectors as agriculture, water management, and drinking water supply.

The development of this sector has a positive impact on related industries. In particular, creating large solar and wind stations and their connection to the network, maintenance, and repair opens up a market of at least $1 billion for domestic enterprises.

Therefore, this year in the “Solar Cluster” of the city of Karshi it is planned to implement projects for the production of solar panels, batteries, inverters, water heaters, and in Akhangaran industrial zone – cables and transformers, in the city of Nukus and Andijan district – the production of solar panels.

The President gave instructions to assist domestic enterprises in obtaining international quality certificates and bringing production into line with international standards.

The Minister of Energy and hokims reported on plans for organizing work on the tasks set at the meeting.

UzA