EDB: Electricity demand in Central Asia to grow by 27% by 2030

Demand to grow by more than a quarter

By 2030, electricity demand in Central Asia will grow by 27%, that is, by more than a quarter. This was reported by the head of the Sectoral Analysis Center of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Arman Akhunbaev, as quoted by Daryo.uz. According to him, consumption is rising due to industrial development, the construction of new enterprises, urban expansion, and the digitalization of the economy.

New power plants alone are not enough

“By 2030, electricity demand in the region will grow by 27%, that is, by more than a quarter. To prevent energy shortages from becoming an obstacle to the economy, capacity and grids for new plants and growing cities must be prepared now,” Akhunbaev noted. The EDB warns that simply building new power plants is not enough: grid modernization, the development of energy storage systems, and the creation of reserve capacity are also required in parallel. According to the bank, the intensive development of renewable energy sources also places an additional load on power systems.

Renewable energy plans and the risk of shortage

By 2035, Central Asian countries plan to commission solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of more than 35 gigawatts. Experts emphasize that without grid modernization and coordinated operation of power systems, growing consumption will inevitably increase the risk of shortages. Notably, this is the bank's assessment and warning, not adopted decisions: no specific grid modernization measures are named in the publications.