Uzbekistan intends to attract $264 mln from international financial organizations for energy efficiency needs
TASHKENT. Jan 15 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan in 2026 plans to attract funds from international financial institutions totaling $264 million for implementing an energy efficiency program, Uzbek media reported on Thursday.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the agency's plans for implementing reforms in the field of energy efficiency for the current year. During the meeting, it was noted that most buildings in the country were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and their level of energy loss remains high. In this regard, large-scale work on improving the energy efficiency of social facilities and housing will be launched.
Within the framework of the current year's investment program, 770 social facilities will be modernized using energy efficiency standards. Issues of developing mechanisms for generating revenue from energy savings were also considered, including the development of energy company services and the formation of a corresponding market.
Separate attention was given to improving energy efficiency in the industrial sector. In particular, this year solar panels will be installed at 142 textile enterprises, and 300 pumps in the drinking water supply system will be modernized.
Problems in the centralized heat supply system were discussed, a significant part of which is due to equipment wear. In this regard, as part of modernizing boiler houses and heating systems, as well as converting them to a closed system, 400 individual heat substations will be installed and at least 100 km of heating networks will be renewed.
The meeting also discussed measures to introduce competitive market mechanisms in the electricity sector. It was noted that the transfer of low-voltage networks to the private sector will begin in the Samarkand region, and at the next stage this practice will be scaled up to other regions of the country. It is expected that this will significantly reduce losses by attracting investments in the renewal of network infrastructure.
Mirziyoyev was also briefed on the progress of forming a wholesale electricity market. To date, a list of wholesale consumers consuming more than 10 million kWh of electricity annually has been compiled. For them, it is proposed to introduce a system for purchasing electricity on the wholesale market through direct contracts with hourly pricing.
Approving the presented proposals, Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of improving energy efficiency, the rational use of energy resources, and creating a competitive environment in the energy market, and gave a number of instructions to the relevant agencies.
According to the Uzbek Energy Ministry, electricity production in Uzbekistan in 2025 amounted to 86.7 billion kWh.
