On March 26 President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on the issues for increasing the effectiveness of consumption and rational use of energy resources. 

The largest share of energy consumption falls on economic sectors. Factories built in previous times do not meet modern environmental requirements and energy efficiency standards. For years, the issue of modernization was not given due attention. In some regions, both residents and businesses frequently faced prolonged shortages of electricity and gas. Industrial enterprises exhibited high levels of both energy consumption and resource losses.

In this regard, in recent years, energy efficiency principles have been introduced across economic sectors. A dedicated program is being implemented for major enterprises and key areas of the energy industry.

By 2030, Uzbekistan’s population is expected to reach 41 million, and the economy is projected to double in size. This will lead to a 1.5-fold increase in energy demand compared to the current levels. Along with launching new projects and expanding production capacity, energy-saving measures must be implemented.

At the recent meeting, heads of relevant agencies presented reports on ongoing work. 

Following the President’s instructions and continuing the approach used last year, scientific studies on energy-saving opportunities are being conducted in collaboration with researchers. In particular, studies in Samarkand, Syrdarya, and Jizzakh regions have identified additional opportunities to save 870 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 420 million cubic meters of gas. For instance, simply replacing nearly 35 thousand outdated units of equipment at small and medium-sized industrial enterprises in these regions could save 385 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 50 million cubic meters of gas annually.

There is also significant potential for energy savings in districts and mahallas. Thus, the construction of 300 small solar power plants with a total capacity of 100 megawatts can save 45 million cubic meters of gas this year alone. Additionally, building over a thousand micro-hydropower plants on canals and streams could generate another 175 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Special attention is given to street lighting, which consumes 200 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Installing solar-powered streetlights could reduce this consumption by half.

Considering these opportunities, it’s planned to additionally save 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas and 2.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the current year.

The Head of State emphasized the importance of installing modern energy-saving systems and reducing energy losses, particularly at large industrial enterprises. The government has been tasked with establishing a new system for implementation and monitoring in this field.

It is crucial to cultivate a culture of energy conservation both in industries and households. Avoiding unnecessary electricity and gas consumption, as well as expanding the use of solar panels and other alternative energy sources, will help significantly conserve resources.

Given the high population density in Fergana Valley regions, a task has been set to develop a special approach to ensure their energy supply. This experience is expected to be gradually extended to other regions of the country in the future.

Official web-site of the President of Uzbekistan