The key facts

  • Six solar and wind plant projects with a total capacity of 2,200 MW will be put out to open tender
  • A grid connection opportunity map — by March 1, 2027, the full master plan — by July 1
  • Producers of 'green' energy will receive income from certificates and carbon credits

New procedure for selecting projects

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, during an open dialogue with investors in the fuel and energy sector, stated the need to change the procedure for siting new power plants and selecting projects. According to him, at the initial stage of the reforms, 'green' energy projects were sited mostly in regions proposed by the investors themselves. This helped attract large investments, but led to concentration and fragmentation of capacity in certain regions and a significant rise in the costs of transmitting electricity to other regions. 'We need not individual power plants, but a continuously connected energy system,' the president emphasized.

Open tenders and equal conditions

From now on, regions' demand for electric capacity will be planned in advance, and ready-made projects will be put out to open tender. For each project, the land plot, the grid connection point and deadlines, as well as the terms of electricity purchase and payment, will be announced in advance (Spot.uz also mentions the purchase price). Equal requirements will be set for all investors, mechanisms for payment discipline and risk reduction will be strengthened. In the near future, six solar and wind power plant projects with a total capacity of 2,200 MW (2.2 GW) will be put out to tender under the new rules; the president invited investors to participate.

Master plan through 2050

A National master plan for the development of the energy sector through 2050 will be developed and published openly. By March 1, 2027, a map of grid connection opportunities is planned to be presented, and by July 1 — the full master plan. The documents will indicate in which regions electricity demand will grow, what infrastructure is needed, and where siting new capacity will be effective. This will allow investors to make long-term plans in advance.

Additional income for 'green' energy

Producers of 'green' energy will have the opportunity to earn additional income through certificates and carbon credits (units). Mechanisms will be introduced for the fair distribution of this income between the state and investors, taking into account international environmental commitments and existing contracts.

Growing demand and data centers

The president also noted the need to develop infrastructure for delivering energy to consumers: generating, distribution and storage capacities must work in a single chain. Part of the electricity demand in the regions of the Fergana Valley — the Andijan, Namangan and Fergana regions — is already covered by supplies from other regions, and the load on the grids is growing with the launch of new large enterprises and industrial zones. According to Mirziyoyev, data centers and the development of artificial intelligence are accelerating the growth of electricity demand. Sites for them will be selected in advance, taking into account grid connection capabilities and 'green' energy sources. The project of each large data center will be developed with primary and backup power supply systems, energy storage and cooling; investors are expected to offer solutions for the efficient use of electricity and water.