WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

3.1.5 Republic of Uzbekistan
Yingnan Zhang, International Center on Small Hydro
Power
Key facts
Population 28,394,180 1
Area 447,400 km 2 . 1
Climate Mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot
summers, mild winters; semiarid
grassland in east 1
Topography Mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with
dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated
river valleys along course of Amu Darya,
Syr Darya (Sirdaryo), and Zarafshon;
Fergana Valley in east surrounded by
mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan;
shrinking Aral Sea in west 1
Rain
pattern
Annual average rainfall is 417 mm.
Rainfall peaks in March with 81 mm,
and reaches its lowest point in August
with 3 mm, on average. 2
Electricity sector overview
The electrification rate of Uzbekistan is approximately
100 per cent, and all connections are metered and
billed according to tariffs set for consumer categories.
However, the electromechanical devices were mostly
manufactured during 1960-1990 and are generally old
and unreliable. 3
The installed power generation capacity in Uzbekistan
exceeds 12 GW, of which 1.7 GW from hydropower
and 10.6 GW from thermal power plants (fueled by
natural gas, mazut i and oil). 4 The 2011 electricity
generation figures are depicted in figure 1 below.
Hydropower
Thermal
20%
80%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Uzbekistan
Source: US Energy Information Administration 5
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
Hydropower in Uzbekistan is mostly located on the
River Syrdarya and its tributaries. Around 30 per cent
of hydropower energy derives from small hydropower
plants (510 MW). 7 According to a report of the Asian
Development Bank, in many remote rural areas, small
hydropower plants are responsible for the electricity
generation, which offers a competitive and
environmentally friendly option for addressing
electricity shortages.
In Uzbekistan there is largely unexplored hydropower
potential in 600 small rivers, irrigation canals and
water reservoirs. The total small hydropower potential
is estimated at 1,760 MW (figure 2) with annual
output of 8,000 GWh, only 3.2 per cent of which has
been developed. 8
SHP installed
capacity
SHP potential
56.32 MW
1760 MW
0 500 1000 1500 2000
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in Uzbekistan
Source: German Agency for Technical Cooperation 8
Renewable energy policy
Uzbekistan has abundant oil and gas resources.
Therefore, the Government spends little to develop
renewable energy except hydropower and solar. The
Government has plans to construct small hydropower
plants and develop the country’s vast solar power
potentials. 8
Note
i. Mazut is a heavy, low quality fuel oil, used in
generating plants and similar applications.
References
1. Central Intelligence Agency (2012). The World
Factbook. Available from
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook.
2. Climatemps.com (2012). Uzbekistan. Available from
www.uzbekistan.climatemps.com/.
3. World Bank (2011). Republic of Uzbekistan:
Advanced Electricity Metering Project. Available from
wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServ
er/WDSP/IB/2012/03/08/000333038_2012030823411
8/Rendered/INDEX/662590PAD0P1220Official0Use0O
nly090.txt.
4. Uzbekenergo (2012). Present situation and
perspective development of power system.
Available from
www.uzbekenergo.uz/eng/present_situation_and_per
spective_development_of_power_system/ Accessed
December 2012.
5. United States Energy Information Administration
(2011). International Energy Statistics: Electricity.
Available from
www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm.
Accessed December 2012.
6. World Bank (2011). Electricity production from
hydroelectric sources (kWh). Available from
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.HYRO.KH.
7. Kakharov, J. (2008). Uzbekistan Power Generation
Sector Overview. Bisnis.
8. Biegert, Axel and Klaus Jorde (2009). Regional
Reports on Renewable Energies-8 Country Analyses on
Potentials and Markets in Central Asia. Uzbekistan.
Eschborn. Available from
www.giz.de/Themen/en/dokumente/gtz2009-enregionalreport-asia-introduction.pdf.
229