Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on 28 February on priorities for increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

Analysis shows that the potential of solar and wind energy in our country is 10-12 times higher than the current electricity demand. However, such significant opportunities have not been exploited for many years.

In recent years, the state has been paying great attention to this sector and has created an appropriate legal framework. Major programs have been launched to create green energy production capacities. An attractive environment for investors has been created.

As of today, the industry has attracted US$2.1 billion in foreign direct investment, and projects worth another US$13 billion are being implemented. Modern solar and wind power plants are being built in almost all regions.

In particular, 9 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts were launched in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand and Surkhandarya.

In Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya and Tashkent regions, 6 large and small hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 183 megawatts were put into operation.

Also, solar panels with a total capacity of 457 megawatts have been installed at social facilities, enterprises and organizations, buildings owned by entrepreneurs, and residential buildings. For these purposes, banks allocated resources of almost 2 trillion soums.

As a result, the opportunity has been created to produce an additional 5 billion kilowatt-hours of environmentally friendly electricity and save 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas.

The large-scale work launched in the industry has also significantly contributed to the increase in the production of transformers, various types of cables, thermal collectors, solar panels, insulators, metal structures and other products by local enterprises.

In a word, “green” energy is becoming one of the drivers of our economy and a truly national movement.

In 2024, the production volume of “green energy” will reach 13 billion kilowatt-hours, and its share in the country’s overall energy balance will be 15 percent. For such a short period, this is, of course, a very impressive indicator.

However, there are still many opportunities in the field that are not fully exploited in all regions.

In this regard, new plans to increase the use of renewable energy sources and corresponding infrastructure development were discussed at the meeting.

The head of state emphasized that, based on the accumulated experience, it is necessary to move from this year to the implementation of three-year programs for the creation of large “green energy” capacities.

Based on the needs of the population and economic sectors, 28 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 8 gigawatts will be commissioned over the next three years. 944 kilometers of high-voltage power grids and 6 large substations will be built, and 18 energy storage systems with a capacity of 2.2 gigawatts will be installed. To ensure the stability of the energy system, the need was noted to begin building networks and producing the necessary materials now.

The Minister of Energy reported that this year 14 stations with a total capacity of 2.6 gigawatts will be launched, to connect them to the network, the capacity of 5 substations will be expanded, and 500 kilometers of high-voltage power networks will be built.

In total, at least 85 billion kilowatt-hours will be produced this year due to new capacities, of which 6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be generated from solar and wind stations.

The progress of work on installing solar panels on site is also reviewed.

In order to increase the population’s interest in this, our country has a “Solar House” program. According to this program, residents who install solar panels are paid 1 thousand soums for every kilowatt of electricity. Currently, about 11 thousand homeowners are effectively using this opportunity.

It is noted that to expand this work, it is necessary to further increase the attractiveness and continue to support users of solar panels. It is planned to allocate an additional US$50 million in resources for these purposes and attract another US$100 million in foreign investment.

Additional benefits will also be created for entrepreneurs in the field of solar energy use. In particular, customs benefits for the import of solar panels, inverters and batteries will be extended for another five years.

Responsible persons have been instructed to develop a separate program for the use of renewable energy sources in such energy-intensive sectors as agriculture, water management, and drinking water supply.

The development of this sector has a positive impact on related industries. In particular, the creation of large solar and wind stations, their connection to the network, maintenance and repair opens up a market of at least US$1 billion for domestic enterprises.

Therefore, this year in the “Solar Cluster” of the city of Karshi it is planned to implement projects for the production of solar panels, batteries, inverters, water heaters, and in the Akhangaron industrial zone - cables and transformers, in the city of Nukus and the Andijan region - the production of solar panels.

The President gave instructions to assist domestic enterprises in obtaining international quality certificates and bringing production into line with international standards.

The Minister of Energy and khokims reported on plans for organizing work on the tasks set at the meeting.