BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16. Uzbekistan will
develop and publicly release its first National Energy Master Plan
through 2050 to guide investment in power generation, transmission
infrastructure and energy storage, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
said during a meeting with investors in the fuel and energy sector
in Tashkent on October 16.
This was reported on the official channel of the press secretary
to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sherzod Asadov.
A map of grid connection opportunities is scheduled to be
presented by March 1, 2027, followed by the full master plan by
July 1, 2027.
The documents will identify regions where electricity demand is
expected to grow, the infrastructure required to meet that demand
and locations where new generation capacity would operate most
efficiently. The framework is intended to help investors develop
long-term investment plans based on projected energy needs and grid
capacity.
The president also announced plans to enable renewable energy
producers to generate additional revenue through energy
certificates and carbon credits. Mechanisms will be introduced to
ensure a fair distribution of the resulting benefits between the
government and investors, while fully accounting for Uzbekistan’s
international environmental commitments and existing
agreements.
Mirziyoyev emphasized that expanding power generation must go
hand in hand with developing the transmission and distribution
networks needed to deliver electricity to consumers. Generation,
transmission and energy storage systems must operate as an
integrated system, he said.
Parts of the Fergana Valley, including Fergana, Andijan and
Namangan regions, currently rely on electricity generated in other
parts of the country to meet some of their demand. The launch of
new industrial zones and large enterprises is expected to increase
pressure on the regional power grid.
Artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and data centers are
also emerging as sources of rapidly growing electricity demand.
Under the proposed approach, suitable sites for such facilities
will be identified in advance based on land availability, grid
connection capacity and access to renewable energy sources.
Each major data center will be planned with integrated primary
and backup power supplies, energy storage and cooling systems.
Investors are also expected to adopt solutions that use electricity
and water efficiently.
The planned master plan is intended to align energy
infrastructure development with projected demand, improve grid
reliability, and provide greater predictability for long-term
investment decisions.
