Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated on October 16 that the country is considering Afghanistan and other South Asian states as potential destinations for electricity exports. The statement was made during an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector.
One of the main priorities of the energy sector is the modernization of electrical grids and the expansion of energy storage infrastructure. The President noted that since 2021, investments in updating the country's electrical grids have exceeded 2 billion US dollars.
By 2030, Uzbekistan plans to build 5,000 kilometers of power transmission lines and 16 major substations, as well as increase the capacity of energy storage systems to 4.5 GW. Most of the new projects will be implemented in the regions of Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Namangan, Kashkadarya, and Tashkent.
Priority will be given to comprehensive projects that combine electricity generation, storage, and transmission. Investors are expected to participate in the construction of pumped-storage power plants to ensure long-term energy storage.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan plans to expand export opportunities beyond regional markets. Mirziyoyev reported that the project to create an energy corridor across the Caspian Sea jointly with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan for supplying green electricity to Europe is approaching practical implementation. Afghanistan and other countries in South Asia have also been identified as promising markets for Uzbek electricity exports.