Gas production in Uzbekistan during the first eight months of 2023 experienced a notable decline, with the total output amounting to 31.39bn cubic meters. This figure represents a significant decrease of 9.4%, equivalent to 3.26bn cubic meters, compared to the same period in the previous year. These findings are detailed in the report on industrial production by the Statistics Agency.
The monthly breakdown of gas production illustrates the extent of the decline. In January, 4.3bn cubic meters of gas were produced, marking a 7.5% decrease compared to January 2022. This trend continued in February with 3.85bn cubic meters (-9% compared to February last year), followed by March with 4.16bn cubic meters (-12.96%). April recorded 3.94bn cubic meters (-8.1%), May had 3.6bn cubic meters (-11.2%), June produced 3.7bn cubic meters (-8.9%), and July contributed 3.9bn cubic meters (-8.3%). In August, there was a slight increase to 3.92bn cubic meters, but it remained 9% lower than August 2022 (4.3bn cubic meters).
In contrast, electricity production in the first eight months of 2023 increased by 5.7%, equivalent to 2.78bn kWh, compared to the same period in the previous year. The total electricity generation rose from 48.9bn kWh to 51.7bn kWh. August alone saw the production of 6.46bn kWh, marking a 7% increase compared to the same month in the previous year.
The report highlights that the preliminary data on electricity production for the months of March, April, May, June, July, and August were revised upward by the Statistics Agency, with differences amounting to several billion kWh. The agency attributes these discrepancies to the exclusion of data from small facilities, such as solar photovoltaic power plants, which, by law, provide annual data rather than monthly reports. It's important to note that over 85% of the electricity in Uzbekistan is generated by thermal power plants fueled by gas.
Coal production in the first eight months of 2023 surpassed the previous year's figures, with volumes reaching 3.77mn tons, reflecting a growth of 10.4%. Notably, coal production in August reached a recent-year record of 673.7 thousand tons, marking a 40.2% increase compared to August 2022.
Conversely, oil production exhibited a slowdown in growth, with a minimal increase of 0.1% over eight months, resulting in a total production of 520 thousand tons. August saw a decrease of 4.2% compared to the same month in the previous year, with 64.3 thousand tons produced.
Motor gasoline production, however, demonstrated a significant increase, reaching 892.1 thousand tons during the first eight months of 2023. This represents a growth of 16%, equivalent to 123.3 thousand tons, compared to the corresponding period in 2022. The production of diesel fuel also increased substantially to 699.9 thousand tons, marking a 1.6-fold growth compared to the same period last year. However, August experienced a decrease in diesel fuel production, with 70.1 thousand tons produced, which is 20.3 thousand tons less than in July.
In addition to these trends, thermal energy production declined by 8.3%, while gas condensate production saw a decrease of 6.8% over eight months.
The dynamics in the energy sector and related industries reflect the evolving energy landscape and the challenges faced by Uzbekistan in meeting its energy needs and demands.
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