According to the Ministry of Energy, on August 25, 2026, Uzbekistan commissioned three new power plants and three energy storage systems with a total capacity of 2423 MW. The total cost of these infrastructure projects reached approximately 20 trillion soums, equivalent to $1.7 billion USD.
The launch of the facilities took place during a ceremony presenting new industrial, commercial, and social infrastructure ahead of the country's 35th Independence Day. Energy Minister Sherzod Khodjayev noted that some of the recently commissioned assets are among the largest in their respective categories in Central Asia.
Largest Project in Syrdarya Region
The most massive project is a thermal power plant with a capacity of 1573 MW, located in the Bayavut district of the Syrdarya region. This plant was built using direct foreign investment totaling $900 million USD. The project development was carried out by a consortium including EDF from France, Nebras Power from Qatar, as well as Sojitz and Kyuden from Japan, following a tender conducted in November 2021. This combined cycle gas turbine unit is designed to generate up to 13 billion kWh of electricity annually with an efficiency of 61.7 percent. The Ministry of Energy predicts that this will allow for savings of 1.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. After completing the construction phase, which employed about 3000 people, the facility provided 120 permanent jobs.
Renewable Energy in Navoi and Karakalpakstan
In the Nurot district of the Navoi region, a renewable energy complex worth $390 million USD was launched. It combines a 300 MW solar photovoltaic plant and a 150 MW energy storage system. The construction of this complex was executed by China Energy Overseas Investment. Annually, it will generate 657 million kWh of electricity, enough to supply approximately 273,000 households. Furthermore, the complex will help save 175 million cubic meters of gas and reduce emissions by 377,000 tons per year.
A second renewable energy complex was launched in Karakalpakstan. It includes a 200 MW wind farm developed by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia and a 100 MW energy storage system. This wind project, built for $263 million USD after the 2023 tender, is expected to produce 701 million kWh of electricity annually, supplying 292,000 homes, saving 187 million cubic meters of gas, and eliminating 403,000 tons of atmospheric emissions per year.
Additionally, an autonomous energy storage system was commissioned in Namangan region. A facility with a capacity of 100 MW / 200 MWh was built by China Energy Overseas Investment for $110 million USD to store electricity and stabilize grid supply during peak load hours.
