TAHSKENT, Uzbekistan, November 28. Electricity consumption in the autumn-winter season of 2023 is expected to amount to 45 billion kWh, which is three billion more compared to the same period last year, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Energy Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov said during the meeting in the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbekistan’s Parliament, Trend reports.
According to the minister, the necessary reserves of natural gas, fuel oil, and coal have been set aside for thermal power plants to meet this demand.
"We also exchange energy with neighboring countries. We anticipate that they will import 5.2 billion kWh of electricity during the upcoming winter season," Mirzamakhmudov added.
The official stated that Uzbekistan has been analyzing energy deficit rates since January 2023 and has calculated the required amount of energy in the event that such unusual weather occurs again. In the event of a repeat of such colds, daily consumption is estimated to total 273 to 280 million kWh of electricity, with 253 to 255 million kWh covered by Uzbekistan's domestic supply and additional 19.4 million kWh purchased from exporters, according to the ministry.
According to Mirzamakhmudov, in case of a shortage, the daily export of 5-6 million kWh of energy will be reduced, and additional supplies of 10,000 tons of fuel oil for thermal power plants will allow for generation of another 10 million kWh of electricity daily.
"Gas consumption in Uzbekistan is expected to be 28 billion cubic meters this winter, 2.5 billion more than last season, with 3.5 billion cubic meters already harvested in underground storage facilities. Last winter, Uzbekistan took 18 to 20 million cubic meters of gas per day from storage facilities; this winter, reserves will allow for daily extraction of up to 35 to 40 million cubic meters of gas", said the official.
Uzbekistan's official oil and gas company, Uzbekneftegaz, declared earlier this month that it is ready to supply five billion cubic meters of gas across the country during the upcoming winter season.
Uzbekneftegaz also announced intentions to transition to 24-hour operation on December 1, 2023.
Moreover, in 2022, the Uzbek Uztransgaz JSC reported the possibility of completely abandoning gas exports in 2025-2026 due to the growth of domestic consumption.