Ecological problems in the world are attracting more and more attention year after year. The developing world is being pressed by the urge to keep up with the developed world in moving towards green economy and modification of their infrastructure. Uzbekistan, as one of the countries in the developing world, is making its leaps towards a sustainable future.
Water Management
Due to shortages of water in Karakalpakstan, the World bank invested $260mn from 2015 until 2022 to improve water management in the region. 650 kilometers of canals and 556 hydraulic structures have been restored, and more than 5,000 hectares of land have been laser leveled.
The last three years in Uzbekistan were the driest in history, and local canals and rivers were exhausted as a result. This is especially true for Amudarya. By the initiative of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, it is planned to hold discussions with Afghanistan's government and revive the canal.
Also last year, Mirziyoyev signed laws on the ratification of the Treaty between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic on certain sections of the State Border and the Agreement on the joint management of water resources of the Andijan (Kempir-Abad) reservoir.
Andijan, Namangan, and Ferghana regions of Uzbekistan have fertile soil. However, due to the obsolescence of 235 pumping stations, the water supply of 380,000 hectares of land is hindered, of which 60,000 hectares are out of circulation. In addition, these pumping stations consume electricity 1.5-2 times more than usual.
Therefore, in these regions, it is planned to modernize pumping stations in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In the first stage, it is planned to modernize 118 pumping stations.
As a result, 30,000 hectares of land will be returned to circulation, and the water supply of 57,000 hectares of irrigated land will improve. It will be possible to provide additional 4,375 household plots with irrigation water. 290mn kWh of electricity will be saved per year, according to the Ministry of Ecology.
French companies "Suez" and "Veolia Energy" are also contributing to improvements in the water supply system of the country. Over the next 7 years, the "Tashkent Water Transformation Plan", supervised by Suez, "will aim to improve the day-to-day management of water demand and supply through the implementation of smart and digital management tools connected to a real-time control monitoring system. Water losses will be reduced to meet the highest international standards through the implementation of diagnostic instruments and the use of advanced techniques for leak detection and repairs."- the website informs. As for "Veolia Energy", Uzbekistan jointly with the company will define the future agreement for water supply and sanitation for the full Uzbek capital, which currently has a population of about 3mn.
Air pollution management
The government of Uzbekistan, together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank, have begun developing a strategy for the decarbonization of the national economy until 2050.
By the calculations of the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan, in 2022, the total amount of emissions into the atmosphere was 2,057mn tons, of which 1,296mn tons (63.0%) were contributed by vehicles and 762,400 tons (37.0%) by industrial and manufacturing enterprises.
Years of the establishment of many factories in Uzbekistan date back to the Soviet Era. Since then, their dust and gas-capturing systems were not upgraded. Now, the ministry of ecology is repairing and replacing 670 pieces of dust and gas capture equipment. As a result, the release of 2,600 tons of waste into the atmosphere was prevented.
According to the "Program of measures aimed at further increasing the efficiency of dust and gas capture in large industrial enterprises in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2022-2023" approved by the Uzbek government, in 2022, 362 dust and gas cleaning equipment at the priority sources of 96 industrial enterprises was modernized and reduction of 2,600 tons of pollutants was achieved.
Within the framework of the program, 5,500 tons of waste gases will be retained in exchange for the installation of 750 dust-gas cleaning equipment for 144 more enterprises in 2023.
Greening
World Bank, within the framework of the "Resilient Landscapes in Central Asia Program," allocated $142mn for Uzbekistan.
By now, 7,000 hectares of green areas remain in the city of Tashkent. Hence, the president initiated the "Yashil Makon" program. The draft master plan provides for the creation of a “green belt” around the large ring road in Tashkent and the organization of theme parks along the canals flowing through the city. It is planned to increase the area of green areas to 25,000 hectares (while the total area of the city is 43,000 hectares). The task was set to bring the level of greening in Tashkent to 28% in 2023.
Another problem of the region, which is causing a lot of international debates, is the drying Aral Sea and the seabed, which is covered by chemicals and is now exposed to air. The chemicals were brought by the two rivers, which used to fill the Aral Sea - Amudarya and Syrdarya. The water from these canals was used for irrigation of cotton fields, thus it carried along all the fertilizers from the fields to the sea. The chemicals are causing severe air pollution in Karakalpakstan and people there have a higher rate of getting infected with respiratory diseases. To lessen the impact of pesticides on human health, by the initiative of the UN and USAID, saksauls were planted along the seabed. Over the past short time, 535 hectares of forest plantations and 638 hectares of public parks have been created in Karakalpakstan and the regions.
The Global Environmental Fund together with Food and Agriculture Organization is funding Uzbekistan with $25.2mn for 5 projects to the reduction of the number of degraded lands and lost forests by 2030.
It aims to restore 0.5mn hectares, increase the productivity of irrigated lands affected by desertification and drought, and mitigate the problems associated with the drying up of the Aral Sea.
Land and waste management
Upon observation, the state of the waste management system in the capital was called unsatisfactory. The task was set to reform the activities of the State Unitary Enterprise "Makhsustrans" and bring the level of waste recycling to 50%.
Also, a Japanese company "Sansho" is establishing its project worth $10mn to establish an ecologically clean enterprise based on Japanese technology for the separation and processing of waste in Ecocity and its surrounding areas. It is planned to establish an enterprise based on the production of electricity by burning the collected waste.
Green Energy
There is a lot of work currently being carried out in the field of ramping up the spread of green energy in the country. Many foreign companies are showing their interest in Uzbekistan and investing in its development, especially in the direction of renewable energy.
Not so long ago, Shavkat Mirziyoyev indicated that solar panels could be installed on the roofs of apartment buildings, social and other facilities, on the territory of industrial zones, parking lots, and large water facilities. And by these measures, it will be possible to create energy sources in the amount of 1.8bn kWh, which is 4 times more than the required 240mn kWh of electricity predicted for 2023.
In the regions, there are also initiatives on installing solar panels and wind turbines throughout the country. With the implementation of solar panels alone, in some regions like Jizzakh, it will be possible to cover half of the yearly needs of the region for electricity. These measures in Jizzakh will reduce gas emissions by 71mn cubic meters per year.
Moreover, in recent years, 27 projects worth $500mn have been implemented in the hydropower industry and an additional 260 megawatts of generating capacity have been created. The total capacity of stations in the "Uzbekhydroenergo" system exceeded 2,000 megawatts. This means an annual saving of 2bn cubic meters of natural gas.
There are also projects on the creation of micro-hydroelectric power plants throughout the Republic, and they are estimated to produce 675mn kWh of electricity and save 200mn cubic meters of gas per year.
In total, $1bn was allocated for the introduction of renewable energy in the city by the end of 2022. The initiation of new projects is a part of the Uzbek government’s long-term strategy to diversify the country’s energy mix, which targets 8 GW and 12 GW of solar and wind capacity by 2026 and 2030, respectively.
Over the past three years, direct investments in the amount of $8bn have been attracted to the energy sector. In particular, solar power plants have been launched in Navoi and Samarkand regions. This year, 18 more such stations are being built, resulting in a 50% increase in electricity generation for household needs.
In Kashkadarya it is planned to launch 3 solar power plants in Nishan and Chirakchi districts. Solar panels with a total capacity of 76 MW are to be installed at public institutions, enterprises, and homes.
By another decree of Mirziyoyev, a large-scale program was adopted to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy sources. In particular, the company "Yashil Energy" was organized, and initial financing in the amount of $10mn was sent to it.
Companies of the UAE like Masdar, ACWA Power, Elsewedy Electric, and Orascom Construction were committed to establishing solar and wind power plants which are expected to generate in total at least 650mn kW energy per year.
These projects are expected to save 3.9bn cubic meters of natural gas, 4bn kWh of electricity, and 21,000 tons of oil products in industries in 2022-2026. As a result, it is planned to reduce the share of energy costs in the cost of manufactured products by 20%.
In the next three years, solar panels and hot water collectors will be installed in all state organizations. For this, investments in the amount of $2bn will be attracted. Afterward, 60% of electricity and gas consumption will be transferred to green energy.
In accordance with the government's strategy, it is planned to increase the share of energy obtained from alternative sources in the total generation to 25% by 2026.
There are also French, Turkish, and global investors in the development of green energy (and their contributions) in the region, such as:
- Total Eren - The solar plant, located near the city of Samarkand, is currently under construction. Once completed, it will produce 270 GWh per year, enough to supply energy to 140,000 people in Uzbekistan, while saving 160,000 tonnes of CO2;
- EDF - At the end of 2021, EDF, in consortium with Nebras (Qatar) and Sojitz (Japan), was selected by the Uzbek authorities to finance, build and operate a 1,600 MW combined cycle gas turbine power plant on the Syrdarya site for 25 years. The EDF Group's engineering departments (thermal power, hydraulic power, grids, and systems) mainly provide services in this region;
- Orascom Construction - The management of Orascom Construction expressed interest in implementing a project in Uzbekistan to create an industrial park with the subsequent construction of facilities for the production of paints and varnishes and chemicals for building materials on its territory, as well as the construction of a wind farm with a capacity of 100 MW;
- Calik Holding - The new power plant that will have a generating capacity of 472 megawatts will be constructed in Navoi Industry Region, which is 500 kilometers away from the capital Tashkent. Construction, which will start in October is expected to be completed in three years;
- Cengiz Enerji - The parties agreed on the construction of a gas-piston thermal power plant with a capacity of 450 MW. The cost of the project is estimated at $300 million;
- Islamic Development Bank - The bank’s management agreed to allocate $100.87 million for the project of a new combined cycle thermal power plant in Surkhandarya;
- Asian Development Bank - This year, 2 small hydropower plants with a total capacity of 2 megawatts will be built in Zafarabad, which will produce 2.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity this year. Together with the Asian Development Bank, the construction of a large solar power plant with a capacity of 150 MW will begin in Farish. At full capacity, this station will generate 370 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. A cogeneration center will be built in Jizzakh, producing both heat and electricity;
EVs
"Uzavtosanoat", jointly with foreign companies and their investment, is drawing up a plan to gradually launch the production of 15-25 thousand electric vehicles per year in the republic.
Earlier, "Daryo" reported on the increasing number of electric cars (EVs) in the capital in recent years.
The Development Strategy of Uzbekistan in 2022-2026 defines the goals for the transition to a "green" economy, including the production of EVs.
Companies, which are boosting cooperation with Uzbekistan in the sphere of automobile construction, are Alstom, Schneider Electric, Mitsui, and KIA Motors. All companies are bringing their branches, specialists, and investment to Uzbekistan.
Since Shavkat Mirziyoyev was elected the President of Uzbekistan, there have been made many changes in all spheres of citizens' lives. And moving toward a green economy is one of them.
Nigora Umarova
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