Uzbekistan Adds 5,600 MW of Solar and Wind Capacity, Says Renewables Now Represent 30% of Electricity Mix

Uzbekistan has added 5,600 megawatts of solar and wind capacity to its national grid through partnerships with international developers. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said renewable sources now account for around 30 percent of the country’s electricity mix. Authorities plan to increase that share to 54 percent by 2030 as electricity demand continues to rise.

5 times, reaching 87 billion kilowatt-hours, Mirziyoyev said. The expansion of renewables is aimed at strengthening energy security, reducing dependence on natural gas and supporting industrial growth. International financial institutions and private developers are supporting solar, wind and electricity infrastructure projects across several regions of Uzbekistan.

One of the largest projects currently under development is a solar power plant in Samarkand backed by the Asian Development Bank. When finished, the solar plant in Samarkand will produce half a gigawatt of renewable energy.

This means it is going to be the largest in Central Asia,” Kanokpan Lao-Araya, country director for Uzbekistan at the Asian Development Bank, said. The government is investing in energy storage systems and grid modernisation projects to improve electricity transmission capacity and network stability.

Alongside energy generation, authorities are expanding digital infrastructure including artificial intelligence laboratories and large scale data centres.

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA is building a 100 percent green AI data centre in the IT park in Tashkent. “We are bringing now the AI data centre. 100% green data centre is under construction in the IT park in Tashkent,” Muhammad Abunayyan, chairman of ACWA, said.