Why is this important
Record-breaking renewable energy production reduces Uzbekistan’s dependence on natural gas and decreases CO2 emissions by 4 million tons. The development of “green” energy is critical for a country where traditional generation is based on gas, and the demand for electricity is growing amid hot climate and industrialization.
What happened
- Since the beginning of the year, the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources (excluding hydroelectric power plants) has reached 9 billion kWh by October 22;
- 12 solar and 5 wind power plants with a total capacity of 4682 MW are operating in the country;
- The use of renewable energy sources allowed saving 2.73 billion cubic meters of natural gas;
- 4 million tons of pollutants were prevented from entering the atmosphere;
- Including hydroelectric power plants, the total volume of “green” energy amounted to 14.52 billion kWh (23% of total production).
Achievement scale
According to the Ministry of Energy, 9 billion kWh will be enough for:
- Provision of 7.5 million households for 10 months;
- Full coverage of 6 million subscribers’ annual consumption.
Context
Uzbekistan is actively developing renewable energy, aiming to achieve a target of 30% “green” energy by 2030. Large projects are being implemented in the country with the involvement of international investors: Masdar (UAE), ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia), and Total Eren (France).
The savings of 2.73 billion cubic meters of gas are significant: this volume would be enough for heating and energy supply to the regions or for export. Considering that Uzbekistan is a major consumer of gas for electricity generation, switching to renewable energy sources reduces the load on gas infrastructure.
The share of renewable energy sources in 23% (including hydroelectric power plants) is a solid indicator, but it is still necessary to increase capacity to the target 30%. Preventing the release of 4 million tons of pollutants contributes to the country’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Solar and wind generation depends on weather conditions, therefore the development of energy storage devices (battery storage) will be the next important stage in stabilizing the energy system.
