Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 19-20 December 2024, Tashkent hosted the International Scientific and Technical Conference "Energy Efficiency-2024. Modern Technologies – The Foundation for the Development of Energy in Uzbekistan," traditionally held in honor of Energy Day.

The event, organized by the Tashkent State Technical University (TSTU) named after Islam Karimov with the support of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, brought together over 150 scientists and specialists from the CIS countries, Europe, and Asia. The main theme of the conference was modern technologies in the energy sector and the transition to sustainable energy sources in the context of the global climate agenda.

TSTU Rector, Academician Sadriddin Turabjanov, noted that Uzbekistan is taking confident steps toward modernizing its energy system. He also emphasized the launch of new energy capacities and the initiation of 24 projects with a total value of more than US’7 billion. "These new projects will enable an additional 9.5 billion kWh of electricity production in the coming years, saving 2.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas and preventing the emission of 460 million tons of harmful gases. Under the Paris Agreement, we plan to reduce harmful gas emissions by 35% by 2030. The issues included in the agenda of today’s conference will form the basis for the effective implementation of the tasks set by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan," he said.

The Rector of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, Professor Nikolai Rogalev, drew the participants' attention to the concept of an intelligent energy system in the context of energy transition studies and solving energy efficiency challenges.

"An intelligent energy system, especially with the expectations for artificial intelligence, will allow us to address and solve the energy efficiency problem in the most rational way. Of course, none of this is possible without training specialists. I am sure that the conference will pay significant attention to this, and the conference itself will be very active and discussion-oriented," Rogalev stated in a video address.

Famous scientist, Academician Khahramon Allaev, spoke about the development of energy in Uzbekistan, explaining the essence of key energy development scenarios worldwide, one of which is the scenario of achieving zero emissions by 2050. He also emphasized that Uzbekistan will become the first country in Central Asia to build a nuclear power plant. "As you know, Uzbekistan will begin construction of a small nuclear power plant with a capacity of 330 MW. This is the first step. According to our calculations, by 2050, the total capacity of nuclear power plants should be between 8 to 10 GW. Only then will we be able to ensure zero emissions and meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement," Allaev emphasized. According to the scientist, the goal of increasing electricity production to 129 billion kWh by 2030 and 170 billion kWh by 2035, as set by the country's leadership, is achievable, including through the use of renewable energy sources (RES) and nuclear generation. According to the conference organizers, the launch of solar and wind power plants has increased the share of "green" energy in the country’s energy system to 16%. By 2030, additional "green" capacities of 19,000 MW will be built, resulting in an increase of the RES share to 54%.

During the conference, experts also discussed energy efficiency, fuel resources, and the use of digital technologies in the energy sector. Many experts agreed that Uzbekistan has all the potential to become a leader in the region in the implementation of green technologies and innovations in the energy sector.