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🇺🇿 Uzbekistan /Energy & Infrastructure

Uzbekistan plans to overhaul its power sector “from ground up”

From Gazeta.uz · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Uzbekistan plans a comprehensive overhaul of its energy sector, modernizing infrastructure from substations to individual households.
  • The country's energy system is described as being in a "very poor state," with frequent power outages causing significant economic damage.
  • New leadership has been appointed, and a reform proposal is expected within three months, focusing on market principles, competition, and loss reduction.

Uzbekistan is embarking on a sweeping reform of its energy sector, aiming to rebuild its power infrastructure "from the ground up," according to Sardor Isakulov, the newly appointed chairman of Regional Electric Networks (REN).

in a very poor state

— Sardor IsakulovSardor Isakulov described the current reliability and quality of electricity supply in Uzbekistan as being 'in a very poor state.'

Isakulov described the current reliability and quality of electricity supply in Uzbekistan as being in a "very poor state." The initiative follows a critical assessment by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who noted that summer and winter periods consistently see dozens of substations and hundreds of transformers failing. In June and July alone, approximately 4,000 power outages occurred, leaving residents and businesses without electricity for extended periods of up to 8-10 hours.

President Mirziyoyev also highlighted the lack of economic damage assessments for these outages and criticized the wastage of billions of soums due to inaccurate power balance data. Transformers and transmission lines were reportedly installed without considering load centers. In response, officials have been instructed to conduct a stress test of the entire power system and develop future development scenarios.

we will effectively rebuild the country’s energy system

— Sardor IsakulovIsakulov stated that the sector will be overhauled from the ground up, adding, 'we will effectively rebuild the country’s energy system.'

To address these issues, infrastructure modernization will be pursued through targeted programs reaching every transformer and household. Senior energy executives will be assigned to specific regions to tackle areas with high unpaid bills and frequent outages. The Energy Ministry is expected to submit a reform proposal within three months, emphasizing the introduction of market-based principles and competition, particularly in liquefied gas supply chains. Key priorities include network modernization, debt reduction, and cutting energy losses, despite significant past investments in the sector.

Only four months remain until winter, and a significant amount of work can be completed during this time. Every manager must 'open their eyes', eliminate disruptions to the electricity supply and address not only the consequences but also the root causes to prevent similar outages from happening again

— Sardor IsakulovIsakulov stressed the urgency of the situation, noting that with only four months until winter, managers must 'open their eyes' and address both the consequences and root causes of outages.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Gazeta.uz. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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