Central Asia to Develop Unified Electricity Trade Platform

At the European Economic Days in Tashkent on November 6, Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister for Energy, Umid Mamadaminov, revealed that a unified platform for electricity trade is being developed in Central Asia. 

The initiative is supported by the World Bank and other international partners, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia. 

“Infrastructure is very important for integrating renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, and many countries face this problem. We need at least 5,000 km of power lines, including 500 kV and 200 kV high-voltage lines and substations,” Mamadaminov said.

At least 2,000 km of power lines should be built in the next two years.

“We have already signed contracts to install more than 2,000 MW of energy storage systems with a total capacity of more than 400 MW, as each is a two-cycle network. We will have at least 4,000 MW of basic capacity in the next two years. This helps to respond to fluctuations in solar energy production quickly,” the deputy minister said.

According to Mamadaminov, automation is the main problem in integrating renewable energy sources into the electric grid because the system cannot be controlled without it.

In addition, this year, reforms to modernize and regulate energy consumption, including a new plan developed by the Cabinet of Ministers, were implemented in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan's energy system, especially electricity generation, relies heavily on fossil fuels. However, the country aims to produce 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Uzbekistan plans to focus on solar energy while using wind, biomass, and hydro sources to achieve this goal. The government is working to attract investors to build 8 GW of solar and wind power and increase hydroelectric capacity to 1.935 GW by 2030. Biogas production from biomass and organic waste will also be developed.