Uzbekistan targets 5.67 GW hydropower capacity by 2032 under sector overhaul decree

Hydropower capacity is expected to reach 2,515 megawatts this year, including 114 MW from newly commissioned plants. By the end of 2032, total capacity is projected to rise to 5,668 MW – a figure that includes 1.4 GW of pumped-storage hydropower facilities designed to improve grid stability.

The government also plans to expand private-sector participation in hydropower generation. Privately owned plants with a combined capacity of 10 MW are scheduled to come online this year, while total private hydropower capacity is expected to reach 130 MW over the next five years.

The decree calls for transforming Uzbekhydroenergo into a balancing operator for the national power grid. Authorities aim to increase the use of locally produced materials in investment projects and expand the company’s role in regional energy initiatives. Furthermore, the government ordered measures to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen financial oversight, including the phased introduction of international financial reporting standards.

Uzbekhydroenergo will also digitalize production processes and introduce AI technologies aimed at preventing accidents at hydropower facilities. To streamline development, the decree allows the company to finance and build roads, transmission lines, and other infrastructure linked to investment projects under a simplified design procedure, with contractors selected through competitive tenders.

Supporting these technical advancements, engineering firms Hydroproject and Uzsuvloyiha will be permitted to use drones for survey and design work in remote areas lacking infrastructure. Finally, an interagency tariff commission has been instructed to revise the electricity purchase tariff for Uzbekhydroenergo within two weeks, accounting for operating costs, debt obligations, and investment needs. Authorities were also directed to prepare proposals to accelerate the sale of green energy certificates.