Uzbekistan boosts renewable energy push with World Bank-backed power upgrades
Uzbekistan to modernize electricity networks, integrate renewables with $150 million energy infrastructure investment
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — Uzbekistan is accelerating efforts to modernize its aging electricity distribution system and integrate renewable energy, supported by a $150 million financing package that includes technical and financial collaboration with the World Bank.
According to a recent announcement by the World Bank, the funding will help Uzbekistan’s state-owned Regional Electric Power Networks (REPN) upgrade critical infrastructure in regions most affected by unreliable power supply, including the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Surkhandarya.
The World Bank, in a statement cited by Uzbek media outlet Gazeta.uz, noted that Uzbekistan’s energy system suffers from high technical losses—estimated at 13 percent—due to outdated and overburdened distribution facilities, many of which have been in operation for over three decades.
REPN will contribute $50 million to the initiative, which will unfold over five years. The planned upgrades include the modernization of 6,000 kilometers of low-voltage lines, replacement of 1,200 distribution transformers, connection of 150,000 smart meters, and installation of 4,000 concentrators to support automation and digitalization.
The reforms are designed to reduce commercial power losses, improve reliability, and help integrate small- and medium-scale renewable energy sources into the national grid.
The government of Uzbekistan aims to deploy 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030, but experts warn that without urgent modernization, the current infrastructure cannot support such expansion.
“The World Bank’s financing will support Uzbekistan’s government program to modernize and expand the electricity distribution infrastructure through 2030, with total investment needs estimated at $3 billion,” said Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Director for Central Asia. She added that the Bank hopes to attract more development partners and private investors to support the effort.
By 2029, the initiative is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 450,000 tons of CO₂ annually, increase grid capacity to absorb 50 megawatts of renewable energy from households and small enterprises, and raise customer satisfaction to 90 percent.
It also aims to improve gender representation within REPN by increasing the share of women in technical and managerial positions from 9 percent to 14 percent.
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