In 8 years, the number of hydropower stations has increased from 36 to 100, with a 50% increase in installed capacity. Now, a list of 73 projects worth 5.8 billion US dollars has been released. Uzbekistan is pushing forward with unprecedented efforts to develop hydropower, attempting to break free from its deep dependence on natural gas and coal.

Eight year hydropower transition

Uzbekistan has over 150000 kilometers of rivers, canals, and streams, and is blessed with abundant water resources. However, for a long time, the country's electricity supply has been highly dependent on natural gas and coal, with hydropower accounting for only about 10% to 12%.

In the past eight years, this situation has been changing: the number of hydropower stations has increased from 36 in 2017 to 100 in 2025, and the total installed capacity has increased from 1.6GW to 2.4GW, a growth of 50%. At the same time, the Uzbekistan Hydroelectric Equipment Manufacturing Plant was completed and put into operation, becoming the only country in Central Asia with the production capacity of hydroelectric turbines and supporting equipment.

The first batch of production in 2026 is imminent

From 2026 to 2032, Uzbekistan plans to implement 73 hydropower projects with a total investment of 5.8 billion US dollars and an expected increase in installed capacity of 3.6 GW. The first batch of 13 hydropower stations and 1 wind power project will be put into operation within 2026, with a total installed capacity of 114 MW and an annual power generation of 537 GWh, creating 254 job opportunities.

Among them, the Upper Puskam Hydropower Station has an investment of 365 million US dollars, an installed capacity of 160MW, and an annual power generation of 484 million kilowatt hours, which can provide power to 161000 households with a localization rate of 82%. The installed capacity of the Sohe Hydropower Station in Fergana Oblast is 15MW, with an annual power generation of 50 million kilowatt hours, which can meet 71% of the electricity demand in the area. 42 small hydropower stations with a total installed capacity of 541MW and an annual power generation of approximately 1.9TWh are planned and constructed in the Tupalan River Basin. Keywords: hydropower, Uzbekistan

In addition, the total installed capacity of three pumped storage power stations is 1.4GW, the total installed capacity of nearly 3000 small and micro hydropower stations is 164MW, and the comprehensive deployment of digital monitoring systems is jointly building a diversified hydropower system.Editor/Cheng Liting