Management of electricity networks in several regions of Uzbekistan is set to be transferred to private operators, as outlined in a presidential decree dated 30 August. The decree follows a dialogue between the head of state and businessmen in Nukus.
A tender for the transfer of power grids in Samarkand region to a private operator is expected to be announced in October. Further tenders for Jizzakh and Syrdarya regions are planned between January and September 2025.
The decree on public-private partnership development for 2024−2030 stipulates that the winner of the Samarkand tender will be announced in December 2025. The project, aimed at the modernization and transfer of the region’s power grids, is estimated to cost $250 million.
In addition, a project for the modernization, construction, and transfer of power grids in Andijan region is slated for the fourth quarter of 2027.
Similar initiatives will be undertaken for electric and gas distribution networks. In Samarkand and Bukhara regions, these projects are expected to launch in the fourth quarters of 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Overall, the management of power distribution networks in all regions (including Karakalpakstan, the regions and Tashkent) will be transferred to interested private companies. These companies will be required to reduce annual energy losses by 50%. Contracts are expected to be signed in 2025−2026, with the total cost of the power grid projects estimated at $2 billion. Similarly, contracts for gas networks across all regions, also valued at $2 billion, are scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2027.
Speaking with entrepreneurs in Nukus earlier in August (president holds such “open dialogues” once a year), Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted the private sector’s active participation in the energy industry. Projects worth $3.5 billion have already been launched through public-private partnerships, with 50 new initiatives valued at $31.5 billion currently underway.
