TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 8. Uzbekistan prioritizes production of natural gas, despite plans to increase the share of renewable energy sources in electricity production, Uzbek Minister of Energy Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov said, Trend reports.
Mirzamakhmudov justified the decision with the annual population growth in Uzbekistan, which approximately amounts to 1 million.
“Concurrently, the economy is growing by about 6 percent, which increases energy consumption by at least 10-15 percent,” the minister stressed.
He noted that the electricity consumption in Uzbekistan has increased by 40 percent over the past 6 years and Uzbekistan expects the trend to continue until 2030.
“Naturally, the country starts to search for the ways to fulfill the growing demand in gas. In fact, we are a gas-producing country, we used to be a gas exporter, but in the current conditions we are forced to import natural gas to provide economic sectors and the population," the minister added.
Mirzamakhmudov said that the share of gas in electricity production now amounts to 75 percent, but is set to decrease.
“The capacity of energy production using natural gas will not change if we take into account the increase in electricity consumption," he explained.
The minister concluded with adding that Uzbekistan and Russia plan to expand cooperation in gas processing sphere.
Uzbekistan has produced 35.1 billion cubic meters of gas from January through September 2023.
As per Uzbekistan’s State Statistics Committee, the decline in natural gas production accelerated as the recorded number reflects an 11.43 percent or a 3.6 billion cubic meters decrease compared to the same period last year.
Moreover, on Oct. 7, 2023, Russian gas supply to Uzbekistan was launched via Kazakhstan. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that the launch of this gas transportation corridor is of strategic importance.