President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation dedicated to investment projects aimed at improving waste management, recycling, and electricity generation.
Six projects are planned for transforming waste into energy in Uzbekistan between 2026 and 2027, which will utilize waste incineration to generate electricity. The total cost of these projects is $933 million USD, and they are being implemented in partnership with Chinese companies.
As of September 1st, $286.8 million USD has already been invested in these projects. Additionally, domestic goods and services worth $76.6 million have been procured, and about 2,000 local workers participated in the construction.
These projects will cover the regions of Kashkadarya, Samarkand, Tashkent, Andijan, Fergana, and Namangan. Factories in the Kashkadarya and Samarkand regions will begin operations in 2026, while facilities in the other regions are scheduled to be commissioned in 2027.
Once all six facilities reach full capacity, they will be able to process 3.6 million tons of municipal solid waste annually and produce 1.6 billion kWh of electricity. This is expected to help Uzbekistan gradually transition to a 'zero waste' principle, reduce the burden on landfills, and improve the environmental situation.
The presentation also introduced five additional promising waste-to-energy projects proposed by companies from Singapore, South Korea, and China. The total estimated value of these initiatives reaches $625 million USD.
The new projects are planned for the regions of Karakalpakstan, Jizzakh, Surkhandarya, Bukhara, and Khorezm. Their implementation will allow for the annual processing of 1.9 million tons of municipal solid waste and the generation of 635 million kWh of electricity. The creation of 500 jobs, a reduction in natural gas consumption by 158 million cubic meters annually, and a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 316,000 tons are also anticipated.
During the discussion, a comparative analysis was conducted on the costs of building landfills versus waste incineration plants, land requirements, budget revenues, and environmental efficiency. Participants also reviewed measures to minimize the impact of waste incineration on the environment, based on international experience and investor commitments.
Mirziyoyev instructed officials to accelerate the implementation of investment projects, ensure the necessary infrastructure and organizational conditions for investors, increase the level of localization, and strengthen the training of qualified specialists for this sector. A task was also set to create a reserve of personnel for waste incineration plants.
In collaboration with Green University, Samarkand State University, and Karshi State University, it is planned to train a reserve of 1,000 specialists.


