Uzbekistan intends to develop and publish its first National Energy Plan, designed for the period up to 2050. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this initiative on October 16 during an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector.
The plan development will proceed in two stages. A map of grid connection opportunities will be presented by March 1 of next year, and the full master plan is expected by July 1. According to the president's statement, these documents will define regions with projected electricity demand growth, the necessary infrastructure to meet this demand, and optimal locations for new power generation facilities. This will help investors formulate long-term strategies.
Mirziyoyev emphasized that the plan will be prepared in collaboration with partners and will serve as the basis for a new project selection procedure. Previously, companies often independently proposed sites for power plant construction, which, while accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources, led to their concentration in specific areas and increased electricity transmission costs.
The President noted that Uzbekistan requires an interconnected energy system, not a collection of isolated power plants. Under the new approach, the government will predetermine where and what type of generation capacity is needed, prepare projects, and put them out to open tenders. The first stage involves tendering for six solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 2200 MW.
Meeting participants supported the shift towards long-term planning. Mohamed Jamil Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, stated that recent reforms and the presidential decree have established a clear direction for the sector until 2050. He added that long-term planning, reliable conditions, and transparent tenders provide investors with the stability and predictability necessary for capital investment.
By 2030, Uzbekistan plans to increase new generation capacity by 22,000 MW, raise annual electricity output above 129 billion kWh, and bring the share of renewable energy sources to 54%.