Uzbekistan's Thermal Power Plants JSC successfully finalized all 393 planned measures to ready its facilities for the upcoming autumn-winter season. These preparations encompassed equipment maintenance, securing fuel supplies, conducting environmental monitoring, and ensuring overall operational readiness.
The company manages the activities of ten production enterprises dedicated to generating both electricity and heat. The entire preparation program was structured to guarantee consistent and reliable functioning throughout the winter months, thereby mitigating the possibility of technical malfunctions and lowering accident risks.
The scope of the program included servicing primary and auxiliary equipment, enhancing the dependability of technical systems, inspecting engineering infrastructure, stockpiling spare parts and materials, and preparing for seasonal operations. All 393 scheduled tasks were finished according to the timeline.
During this year's maintenance drive, major and medium repairs were scheduled for 28 pieces of primary equipment. This work aimed to boost the efficiency and reliability of the generating capacity, ensuring stable performance during the autumn-winter period. The serviced equipment included five power units, twelve boilers, three combined-cycle plants, three gas turbine units, two gas piston units, and three turbogenerators. Significant focus was placed on the reliability of both primary and auxiliary systems, resolving noted defects, and improving operational effectiveness.
These major and medium repairs have now been concluded for all 28 units. Furthermore, a working group overseeing the seasonal preparations conducted supplementary site inspections. Based on these checks, extended routine repairs were performed on 12 power equipment units where other issues were detected.
The completed maintenance is anticipated to reinstate 116 MW of existing generating capacity and increase the steam output from boilers by 60 tonnes per hour. The company stated that these actions will bolster the production capabilities of its enterprises, enhance equipment preparedness, decrease the likelihood of failures during peak seasonal demand, and support a steady, uninterrupted energy supply to consumers.
For the autumn-winter season, the company has set projections for electricity and heat generation, along with estimates for fuel needs. It intends to produce 14.2 billion kWh of electricity and 5.9 million Gcal of heat, utilizing 3.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 3.1 million tonnes of coal.
To achieve these goals, the company is concentrating on optimizing the use of generating capacity, maintaining reliable equipment operation, consuming fuel rationally, and coordinating the delivery of fuels in the necessary quantities. Technical inspections were also carried out on the fuel reception, storage, and handling systems as part of the preparatory phase, and any identified shortcomings have been rectified, making the facilities ready for service.
Environmental protection was another key area of focus, given the rise in production volume and fuel consumption during the autumn-winter period. Thermal Power Plants JSC implemented an environmental management system adhering to the international ISO 14001 standard. This system is designed to minimize the production's ecological footprint, promote efficient use of natural resources, and reinforce environmental supervision.
Additionally, ten new gas-cleaning filters were installed across five enterprises. Maintenance and inspection work was performed on eleven gas and dust collection units, and boiler operating charts were introduced to refine combustion processes.
For environmental monitoring and laboratory analysis, 19 automated monitoring stations have been installed at the company's sites. These stations are linked to the information systems of Thermal Power Plants JSC and the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change. Moreover, 19 out of 23 environmental monitoring posts situated in sanitary protection zones have been integrated into the relevant systems. Air and water quality surveillance is managed through eight environmental laboratories.
Operational protocols across the company's facilities have also been reinforced. Dedicated operational headquarters are functioning continuously at all power plants and combined heat and power plants to coordinate efforts toward sustaining constant and stable equipment operation.
Over 2,000 skilled specialists have been mobilized for the season, and 64 units of specialized machinery have been allocated to support operations. A total of 68 duty teams, composed of managers and responsible specialists, have been organized to work around the clock. A situation-analysis online dispatch center is also operating 24/7. Its duties include real-time tracking of electricity generation at thermal power plants, monitoring specific conventional fuel consumption per unit of electricity produced and available fuel reserves to lower production costs, remotely observing vehicle movements and fuel storage areas, coordinating with plant duty teams to avert emergencies, and offering practical aid to facilities in quickly identifying and resolving equipment reliability issues. This center is outfitted with advanced information and communication technology for remote management, and qualified personnel have been assigned to it under suitable working conditions.