Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the newly built small hydropower plant (HPP) near the Gissarak Reservoir in the Shakhrisabz district.

Originally constructed in 1987 and fully reconstructed in 2004, the Gissarak Reservoir has since 2011 housed a main hydropower facility with a capacity of 45 megawatts. This plant generates around 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, providing energy for approximately 33,000 households.

Uzbekistan continues to pursue a sustainable strategy focused on clean, affordable, and renewable energy sources. As part of this initiative, the country is expanding its existing power capacities and building new facilities. The state joint-stock company “Uzbekhydroenergo” is implementing a nationwide program for the development of small and micro hydropower plants.

One such project is the newly completed small HPP in the Shakhrisabz district. With an installed capacity of 3.5 megawatts and an average annual output of 17.5 million kilowatt-hours, the plant was built entirely using domestic resources and without imported components. The total cost of the project was $1.5 million. Its operation is expected to save up to 5 million cubic meters of natural gas annually, while the electricity produced will be sufficient to power about 7,300 households.

During the visit, the President was briefed on future plans for the hydropower sector. Over the next two years, Uzbekistan intends to construct 416 micro-HPPs using kinetic turbines with a combined capacity of 12 megawatts. These innovative systems will harness the energy of flowing water in irrigation channels and canals, effectively supplying electricity to remote and hard-to-reach areas.

Currently, three hydropower plants operate in the Kashkadarya region with a total capacity of 49 megawatts. With the implementation of new projects, this figure is set to rise significantly. In the long term, hydropower is expected to cover up to 15 percent of the region's electricity needs.

Overall, Uzbekistan has increased its electricity production by 38 percent over the past eight years, reaching 81.5 billion kilowatt-hours. In 2024 alone, five additional small HPPs with a combined capacity of 24.7 megawatts are scheduled to be commissioned across the country.