Low water levels force cutbacks at Uzbekistan’s major hydropower plants

Saidullo Azimov, a representative of the UzLiDeP faction, asked about the reasons behind the drop in hydropower output, noting that hydropower remains one of the cheapest sources of energy.

In response, the energy minister said that water inflows into the country this year were down by 35 percent compared with last year.

“The main reason for the decline in electricity generation at large hydropower plants is the low volume of water. We are increasing the number of small and micro hydropower plants. Electricity generation from small and micro plants with capacities of up to 5 MW amounted to 140 million kWh – which is very little. We will certainly continue developing hydropower, but since it depends on water resources, we are focusing on alternative energy sources to reduce gas consumption – solar, wind, and energy storage systems,” Mirzamakhmudov said.

The minister also announced plans to build pumped-storage power plants. However, he noted that constructing a large hydropower plant takes between six and ten years, making green energy the cheapest short-term solution for ensuring energy supply.

In September, the energy minister said Uzbekistan had reached agreements with China to implement pumped-storage power plant projects in the country.

Water crisis

Recently, Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Minister Taalaybek Ibraev said Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were working to increase the transmission capacity of power lines in border regions with support from the World Bank’s REMIT program.

In mid-December, Mirzamakhmudov said Uzbekistan plans to supply 2.6 billion kWh of electricity to neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The goal is to ensure sufficient water availability during the vegetation period.

Uzbekistan increased electricity supplies to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan because water levels this year were 35 percent lower due to the near absence of precipitation during the summer months. As a result, domestic farmers did not experience irrigation water shortages during the summer, the minister said.

“Previously, we were net importers, meaning electricity imports exceeded exports. Starting this year, we have moved to a positive balance and become net exporters. This was made possible by creating additional reserves and expanding generation capacity,” he added.

Last week, it was reported that Uzbekistan had begun supplying electricity to Tajikistan. Deliveries amount to up to 2 million kWh per day and could increase as the capacity of Uzbekistan’s power system expands.