Uzbekistan is developing renewable energy at a speed and scale that is changing the structure of its power sector. A system historically dominated by natural gas and state-owned generation is now receiving large solar parks, wind farms and battery-storage projects financed by international developers and development institutions.
This expansion is not driven only by climate policy. Uzbekistan needs more electricity for a growing population, expanding industry, new housing and digital infrastructure. Renewable generation can supply part of that demand while reducing the amount of natural gas burned in power plants. The main question is no longer whether Uzbekistan has enough solar and wind resources. It is whether power networks, storage capacity and sector reforms can keep pace with the volume of new projects.
Uzbekistan Has Moved From Pilot Projects to Gigawatt-Scale Development
Utility-scale renewable energy was still a small part of Uzbekistan’s power system at the beginning of the 2020s. The 100 MW Nur Navoi solar plant, commissioned in 2021, was an important early project because it demonstrated the use of a competitively structured public-private partnership for large solar generation.
Development accelerated after that initial project. Solar plants were built or advanced in regions including Samarkand, Jizzakh, Bukhara, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya. Wind investment expanded in Navoiy and the Republic of Karakalpakstan, where open land and strong wind resources support much larger projects.
By May 2026, the Uzbek government reported that 5.6 GW of large-scale solar and wind capacity had been commissioned. Renewable sources were supplying around 30% of electricity generation, according to the same official assessment. This represents a significant change for a country where modern wind and solar power had been limited only a few years earlier.
The government now aims to reach at least 25 GW of renewable capacity and generate 54% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Reaching those targets would require several more years of rapid construction as well as large investments in networks and system flexibility.
Solar Power Is Spreading Across Uzbekistan’s Dry Interior
Uzbekistan has strong solar resources across much of its territory, including large areas with high irradiation and relatively low population density. These conditions support utility-scale photovoltaic plants, particularly in central and southern regions.
The country’s first wave of solar projects established a geographic network rather than concentrating all capacity in one province. The 220 MW Jizzakh plant and similar developments in Samarkand helped extend solar generation into central Uzbekistan. The 457 MW Sherabad project in Surkhandarya represents a larger development in the south, while Bukhara and Kashkadarya are becoming important locations for projects combining solar generation with battery storage.
Solar development offers several advantages. Plants can be constructed in stages, private developers can use established photovoltaic technology, and generation is strongest during hot daytime periods when cooling demand can be high. Solar also reduces the need to burn gas during daylight hours.
Its limitations become more important as capacity increases. Output falls quickly in the evening, while electricity demand continues. Dust, high temperatures and water availability for panel cleaning can affect operating performance. New projects must also be located near transmission infrastructure capable of carrying their output.
For Uzbekistan, solar expansion is therefore becoming a system-planning issue rather than simply a project-development opportunity. The value of each new plant increasingly depends on grid access, storage, flexible generation and the timing of electricity demand.
Large Wind Projects Add Power Outside Solar Hours
Wind energy provides a second major source of renewable growth. The 500 MW Zarafshan wind farm in the Navoiy region became the largest operating wind project in Central Asia when it was inaugurated in 2024. Its scale showed that Uzbekistan could move beyond individual solar plants and support very large renewable assets.
Additional wind development is planned in Navoiy and Karakalpakstan. Some proposals reach one or two gigawatts, making them comparable in size to major conventional power stations. Wind conditions in western Uzbekistan create an opportunity to develop projects far larger than those normally built near densely populated areas.
Wind and solar can complement each other because they do not always produce electricity at the same time. A more varied renewable portfolio reduces reliance on a single weather pattern, although it does not eliminate the need for flexible resources.
The western location of many wind projects also creates an infrastructure challenge. Major generating sites may be far from the country’s largest demand centers. New high-voltage lines and substations are required to move electricity eastward and integrate it into the national system. Without those investments, available wind resources could exceed the grid’s ability to use them.
International Developers Have Become Central to the Market
Uzbekistan’s renewable expansion is closely connected to foreign investment. Masdar of the United Arab Emirates has developed a large portfolio of solar, wind and storage projects. ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia is also active in wind, solar, storage and green hydrogen. Other projects involve international energy companies, banks and engineering contractors.
The government has used long-term power-purchase agreements and public-private partnerships to attract this capital. Under these arrangements, private companies finance, construct and operate generating assets, while state-linked electricity companies purchase their output under contracts that may run for 25 years.
International financial institutions have helped structure tenders, provide guarantees and reduce project risks. The World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Asian Development Bank have all supported different parts of the market.
This structure has allowed Uzbekistan to develop projects without relying entirely on government capital. It has also introduced competitive bidding and international technical standards into a sector that was previously dominated by state-owned institutions.
However, the model depends on the financial strength of power purchasers, credible contracts and continued reform of tariffs and electricity-market institutions. Private developers will require confidence that the grid can accept their electricity and that contracted payments will be made over the full life of each project.
Battery Storage Is Becoming Part of Renewable Construction
Uzbekistan’s first renewable projects were mainly designed to generate electricity whenever sunlight or wind was available. Newer developments increasingly include battery energy storage.
The Nur Bukhara project combines a 250 MW solar plant with a 63 MW, 126 MWh battery system. Inaugurated in December 2025, it became the country’s first utility-scale project integrating solar generation and battery storage. The battery can shift some electricity across time, support grid stability and reduce sudden changes in the power delivered by the solar plant.
The Guzar project in Kashkadarya will add another 300 MW of solar generation and 75 MWh of battery storage. It reached financial close in January 2026, with operations planned for 2027. A much larger standalone storage project is also planned near Zarafshan, beginning with 300 MW and 600 MWh and potentially expanding through a second phase.
These developments show how Uzbekistan’s renewable market is changing. Storage is no longer treated as an optional future technology. It is becoming part of the infrastructure needed to operate a power system with several gigawatts of variable generation.
Batteries will not solve every balancing problem. Their economics depend on duration, charging patterns and electricity-market rules. Gas-fired and hydroelectric plants will still provide flexibility, especially during longer periods of low renewable output. Even so, storage can reduce short-term stress and improve the usefulness of solar generation after sunset.
Grid Modernization Is the Main Constraint on Further Growth
Uzbekistan’s electricity networks were not designed for the rapid addition of geographically dispersed renewable plants. More than half of the country’s distribution facilities have operated for over 30 years, while technical distribution losses were estimated at around 13% in 2024.
The government and international lenders are financing new lines, transformers, substations, smart meters and digital control systems. A World Bank-supported program includes the construction or modernization of 6,000 kilometres of low-voltage lines and the replacement or installation of 1,200 transformers in priority regions.
Transmission development is equally important. Large wind and solar plants must be connected to the high-voltage network, while new capacity must be delivered to Tashkent, industrial zones and other demand centers. Uzbekistan has also proposed thousands of kilometres of additional high-voltage lines as part of its broader 2030 expansion.
Network investment may determine whether the 25 GW renewable target is technically achievable. Generation capacity can be commissioned faster than major transmission corridors. If grid expansion falls behind, projects may face delays, congestion or periods when renewable output must be reduced.
Renewable Power Supports Energy Security and Economic Growth
Natural gas remains central to Uzbekistan’s energy economy, but using large volumes of gas for electricity creates pressure during periods of high domestic demand. Solar and wind generation can reduce fuel consumption in power plants, leaving more gas available for industry, heating or other economic uses.
Renewables also provide a way to add generating capacity without increasing dependence on a single fuel. This is particularly important as electricity consumption rises. Industrial development, urban growth, electric transport, cooling demand and new digital facilities will require a larger and more reliable power system.
The 2030 targets are ambitious, and official plans have increased several times as new projects have entered development. Their success will depend on more than announced capacity. Uzbekistan must complete projects, reinforce the grid, improve utility finances, expand storage and operate a more complex electricity market.
The country has already moved beyond the experimental stage. Solar and wind now form a substantial part of the power system, and major international investors have established long-term positions in the market. The decisive phase will be integrating the next wave of capacity without weakening reliability. If grid reform and storage development continue alongside construction, Uzbekistan could become the largest and most diversified renewable electricity market in Central Asia.
