Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan intend to bolster energy interconnections to facilitate the export of electricity generated in Central Asia to Europe, TASS has reported with reference to the Kazakh Ministry of Energy.

On November 14, Uzbekistan’s minister of investment, industry and trade, Laziz Kudratov, discussed issues of bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The parties noted the great potential for cooperation in the field of energy, the production of high-tech products, the textile industry and mechanical engineering.

The ministry noted that during the meeting representatives of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan discussed a project on the transfer of green electricity through their territories to third countries, including the laying of a cable.

Yury Melnikov, an expert in green energy, said that the maximum realistic resource potential for hydrogen production by 2040 in these three countries would be at 2.1, 2.6 and 2.4 million tonnes annually, respectively, and more accurate figures would likely emerge after the development of national hydrogen strategies.

"In 2023, routes for hydrogen exports are already being explored, with the involvement of the EBRD, H2 Diplo, Advisian, and Fichtner,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

In February, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the establishment of a joint investment fund with an authorised capital of $500mn to finance joint investment projects.