Uzbekistan plans to “mobilize all resources” to limit the use and sale of Ai-80 (cheapest and lowest-quality) gasoline by the end of the year. At the same time, the people should be provided with “high-quality, environmentally friendly, and affordable fuel”.
This is outlined in the president’s decree of 30 January, which approved the State Program for the Implementation of Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy in 2025, proclaimed as the Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy.
The document also envisages a complete ban on the use of mazut (low-quality heavy fuel oil) by enterprises generating thermal and electric energy by the year end. The only exception will be emergency use, which must be reported to the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Background
Ai-80 gasoline (Euro-2 standard) is currently used only in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. It is considered to be one of the contributors to the air pollution.
In early 2024, the Energy Ministry informed Gazeta.uz of plans to phase out Ai-80 gasoline by 2026 by increasing production of Ai-92 and higher-octane fuels. Concurrently, a reduction in excise tax rates for high-octane gasoline was proposed.
Later, the president instructed the prime minister to expedite the complete discontinuation of Ai-80 by 2025.
However, a president’s resolution issued in September outlined a gradual restriction on the use and sale of motor fuels below the Euro-4 standard starting only in 2028. To facilitate this transition, Bukhara and Fergana oil refineries, which produce Ai-80, will undergo extensive modernization, while imports of Euro-2 and Euro-3 fuel standards will be prohibited, the document stated.
Press service of Uzbekneftegaz told Gazeta.uz that modernization would take time. “Transitioning to Euro-4 and higher standard gasoline at Bukhara refinery requires time. By the end of [2024], a feasibility study will be developed and submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. The full project completion will take 30−32 months,” the company stated at the time.
