The Government of Uzbekistan has confirmed its 5 GW solar energy target to be achieved by 2030 under its strategic energy plan for 2020-2030. Among renewables, the focus will be on solar energy, the Ministry of Energy stressed. The share of wind power will be 3 GW under the plan while that of hydropower will be 3.8 GW.
By the year 2030, the country plans to increase its generation capacities from 12.9 GW to 29.3 GW and increase electricity production from 63.6 billion kWh to 120.8 billion kWh. For solar, projects with capacities ranging from 100 MW to 500 MW will mainly be concentrated in Central and Southern regions of Jizzakh, Samarkand, Bukhara, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya.
The other regions will see the development of solar projects in the capacity range of 50 MW to 200 MW. Larger solar projects with 300 MW capacity or more will need to have an energy storage component.
To attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in its renewables sector between 2020 and 2022, the government will hold competitive auctions to set up projects under build-own-operate (BOO) basis with long term power purchase agreements, up to 25 years of duration.
In 2020, Uzbekistan plans to hold international auctions for 1.4 GW of solar power capacity with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Of this, 600 MW will be tendered for Jizzakh, Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions and remaining 800 MW for other regions.
The plan can be viewed online on the Ministry of Energy's website in Russian language.