The Uzbek government has adopted a programme to develop hydropower in 2016-2020 with a budget of $889.41mn.

The programme aims to save hydrocarbons resources by diversifying the country’s energy mix, re-equipping existing capacities and creating new generation capacities. Consumers face regular shortages of gas and electricity in Uzbekistan, especially in regions and in winter, because the government prefers to export hydrocarbons at global prices rather than supplying them to domestic consumers at subsidised prices.

Under the programme, the Uzbekenergo power operators will carry out 15 projects with a combined design capacity of 943.49 MW at a cost of $576.61mn.

The company is already carrying out four hydropower projects with a capacity of 23.5 MW at a cost of $69.5mn. The remaining $507.11mn will be spent on modernising the existing hydropower stationsm, the combined capacity of which will be increased by 919.9 MW.

The Agriculture and Water Ministry will implement nine projects with a combined design capacity of 535.9 MW at a cost of $312.8mn in 2016-2020.

A total of $174.1mn will be spent on five new hydropower projects with a total capacity of 70.9 MW. Four projects will modernise the existing hydropower stations at a cost of $138.7mn. As a result, their combined generation capacity will increase by 465 MW.

The programme will be funded from own funds of the company and the ministry ($478.16mn) and loans ($411.25mn). It will enable the country to produce additional 5,253.4mn kWh of electricity annually.

Uzbekistan plans to generate 50.58bn kWh of power from thermal power stations and 5.16bn kWh from hydropower stations.