Uzbekistan has signed a new cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia's Vision International Investment Company (VIIC) and France’s Suez International to launch a large-scale waste-to-fuel project aimed at managing hazardous industrial waste and improving the country’s environmental performance.
The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change confirmed that the $78mn project will be implemented in three stages:
- Stage 1: Construction of waste stabilization and landfill complexes, along with regional transfer stations.
- Stage 2: Development of preliminary engineering plans for a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant, combustion units, and heat treatment facilities, accompanied by pilot testing.
- Stage 3: Construction and operation of a full-scale waste-to-fuel and heat treatment facility.
The project marks a significant step toward modernizing Uzbekistan’s waste management system. The country generates around 14mn tons of waste annually, of which only 4–5% is recycled. More than 7mn tons of greenhouse gases are emitted from landfills, and 43,000 tons of toxic leachates seep into the ground each year.
French partner Suez International, with over 160 years of experience, is a global leader in water and waste solutions, specializing in hazardous waste treatment across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East.
Saudi-based VIIC, managing assets worth approximately $96 billion, is involved in various sectors including energy, infrastructure, water resource management, and public-private partnerships.
This project will complement Uzbekistan’s existing efforts, including the first waste-to-solid-fuel plant launched in 2022 in Karakalpakstan’s Khojaly district, which has a capacity of 12,000 tons annually.
According to a presidential decree, Uzbekistan plans to reduce the number of solid waste landfills by 50% by 2030 and will begin establishing new landfill sites starting in 2026, based on proposals from the Ministry of Ecology.
During an October 2024 project review, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of proper waste management:
"If waste is collected properly and recycled more, the ecological balance will improve, nature will be cleaner, and society will change."
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