In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, about 3000 potential sites have been identified for the construction of small and micro-hydropower plants. Over 2500 of these locations have already been put up for auction, according to Umid Mamadalimanov, the First Deputy Minister of Energy, in an interview with the channel Uzbekistan 24.
According to Mamadalimanov, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a separate meeting on August 19 dedicated to the development of small hydropower, instructing officials to increase electricity generation by utilizing the potential of small and micro-HPPs.
Before projects are implemented, they will undergo additional technical and economic assessments. Specialists will study the efficiency of the facilities, the availability of sufficient water flow, and the possibility of achieving an annual power generation level of at least 40–50%. This work will be conducted on a scientific basis in cooperation with the Hydropower Research Institute.
The projects will be divided into three categories. The first category includes sites where the necessary water head is already present, and these projects are planned for priority implementation. The second category will feature projects on existing canals that require modification of hydraulic structures to increase the head. Attention will also be paid to sites where additional potential can be created by changing hydraulic structures and regulating water flow.
Mamadalimanov noted: 'We will divide everything into these three categories and re-evaluate the attractiveness of the projects. This will create opportunities for financing, make them more attractive to entrepreneurs, and ensure competition.'
The Ministry of Energy also intends to change the approach to placing some sites in auctions. Currently, each small HPP is usually offered separately, even if several stations are located along the same watercourse. The First Deputy Minister stated that entrepreneurs are interested in building five or six hydropower plants on the same canals. Therefore, the ministry proposes grouping four or five stations located along one watercourse into a single project portfolio.
This method is expected to reduce design costs and simplify fundraising. Furthermore, the Ministry of Energy plans to prevent situations where entrepreneurs acquire sites for projects without any real intention of building HPPs. Mamadalimanov mentioned cases where sites were bought at auction for almost zero cost.
He stated: 'This clearly means that the main goal was not electricity production at the hydropower plant, but obtaining the land.' A minimum price threshold has been established to exclude such cases. Amendments are also planned that will oblige auction winners to use the acquired project for its intended purpose—building an HPP and generating electricity.
In parallel, Uzbekistan is developing its own equipment production for small HPPs. According to Mamadalimanov, a factory owned by Uzbekhydroenergo that produces equipment for small and micro-HPPs with capacities up to 40 MW is operating at full capacity. The President also instructed officials to train local specialists and expand the use of Uzbek equipment when constructing new small HPPs.
The First Deputy Minister of Energy concluded: 'Today, Uzbekistan has created an opportunity through which a separate industry has effectively formed around micro-hydropower plants. Now we will present separate proposals to spread this experience in the regions.'
