Translated with AI
The Paris Agreement on Climate Change was adopted 10 years ago. The five Central Asian states that signed this international document committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing renewable energy. How the transition to clean energy is being carried out in the region is in the material of the Kazinform agency's own correspondent.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Central Asian countries achieved some success in the transition to "green" energy in 2015-2024, but the energy sector remains predominantly "red". In 2023, the total capacity of renewable energy sources (RES) in Central Asia exceeded 17.3 GW and showed significant growth of 26.6% compared to 2018.
Kazakhstan is the leader in the region in renewable energy
Kazakhstan, which has set a course to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, is one of the leaders in the region in the development of renewable energy sources, attracting investment in solar and wind energy, implementing large projects aimed at increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the energy balance.
According to the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources exceeded 6% by the end of 2024, reaching 6.43%, which is twice the 2020 figure (3%). Last year, 8 new projects with a total capacity of 163 MW were commissioned. Over the past five years, the country has seen stable positive dynamics: in 2021 – 3.69%, in 2022 – 4.53%, in 2023 – 5.92%, in 2024 – already 6.43%.
Over the past decade, the installed capacity of renewable energy facilities in the country has increased more than 17 times, reaching 3,082 MW.
In 2025, it is planned to commission another 9 projects with a total capacity of 455.5 MW, which will significantly increase the share of “green” energy in the country’s energy balance and reduce the carbon footprint.
Since 2018, the country has been using a transparent auction mechanism, which attracts about 260 companies from 13 countries. This has allowed not only to increase capacity, but also to significantly reduce tariffs for "green" electricity: for wind power plants – almost 2 times, for solar – 2.5 times. Some of the most attractive conditions are being created for investors, including 20-year contracts for the purchase of electricity, tariff indexation and investment preferences.
The country's government plans to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy balance to 15%. To this end, another 91 new projects with a total capacity of 2,258 MW are planned to be commissioned by 2030. The total installed capacity of renewable energy sources by that time will be 10 GW.
"Sunny House" in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is also showing growing interest in renewable energy sources, launching solar and wind power plants with the support of international financial institutions. According to the strategy "Uzbekistan – 2030", the state plans to increase the share of renewable energy sources in electricity production to 40% (with a capacity of 25 GW) by 2030. The country is carrying out large-scale work to introduce renewable energy sources, and a legal framework for alternative energy has been created. In 2019, the Law "On the Use of Renewable Energy Sources" was adopted, aimed at creating a legal framework and stimulating investment in this sector.
By 2024, the total capacity of renewable energy sources in Uzbekistan reached 4.5 GW, and their share in the total energy sector was 16%. Renewable energy sources saved almost 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and prevented the emission of 1.4 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
According to the official website of the country's president, $2.1 billion in foreign direct investment has been attracted to the industry, and projects worth another $13 billion are being implemented. Modern solar and wind power plants are being built in almost all regions. In particular, 9 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 1.6 GW have been launched in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand and Surkhandarya. In the Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya and Tashkent regions, 6 large and small hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 183 MW have been commissioned.
Solar panels with a total capacity of 457 MW have also been installed at social facilities, enterprises and organizations, buildings owned by entrepreneurs, and residential buildings. Banks have allocated almost 2 trillion soums for these purposes. As a result, the possibility of producing an additional 5 billion kilowatt-hours of environmentally friendly electricity and saving 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas has been created.
According to information voiced by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, "green" energy is becoming one of the drivers of the country's economy. Within three years, 28 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 8 GW will be commissioned.
The country has a program called "Solar Home", according to which residents who install solar panels are paid 1 thousand soums for each kilowatt of electricity. By 2024, about 11 thousand homeowners effectively used this opportunity.
Additional benefits are being created for entrepreneurs in the field of solar energy use. In particular, customs benefits for the import of solar panels, inverters and batteries will be extended for another five years.
Small and medium hydroelectric power plants in Kyrgyzstan
In recent years, Kyrgyzstan has paid special attention to the construction of small hydroelectric power plants, solar and wind power plants in order to increase the country's energy capacity, strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on traditional energy sources.
The country is actively developing the hydropower sector, focusing on the construction of small and medium-sized hydroelectric power plants by domestic investors. According to the Ministry of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, 39 hydroelectric power plants operate in the country. By the end of 2025, it is planned to commission 18 small hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of about 78 MW, operating on available water resources. In 2026, it is planned to commission 13 small hydroelectric power plants with an estimated capacity of 148 MW, and in 2027, another 14 small hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of about 170 MW.
In the solar energy sector, the largest initiative is the project being implemented in the village of Toru-Aygyr in the Issyk-Kul region. A solar power plant with a capacity of 300 MW is being built on a 407-hectare site with a total investment of $270 million.
The first wind power plant project is being implemented in the city of Balykchy. It is planned to install 100 wind turbines on a 9.8-hectare site, each generating 2 MW. The total capacity of the station will be 200 MW. In the future, the region plans to build another 34 small hydroelectric power plants, five solar and one wind power station.
As noted by the Chairperson of the Association of Wind and Solar Power Plants of the Kyrgyz Republic Kundus Kyrbasheva, renewable energy facilities in Kyrgyzstan are at the construction stage. The share of alternative energy in the total electric power capacity of the country is still small. At the same time, the "National Development Program of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2030" recently signed by the President of the country states that the share of renewable energy in the total generation of electricity will be increased several times.
According to the document, the strategy is focused on three key priorities: energy security, energy independence and environmental sustainability. To achieve them, five interrelated areas are envisaged, covering all aspects of energy development. The most important measures will be the expansion and diversification of generating capacity, increasing the efficiency of the energy system and demand management, modernizing the energy infrastructure, strengthening regional integration, and ensuring climate sustainability.
Among the difficulties in the field of renewable energy that businesses most often encounter, the expert highlighted gaps in the legislative framework and the lack of a “single window” system.
"Kyrgyzstan has not yet developed a "single window" mechanism, where a government agency can provide permits, land plots for the construction of renewable energy facilities, conclude contracts and approve tariffs in one place," she commented.
According to Kundus Kyrbasheva, Central Asian countries have the potential to develop “green” energy.
"The states of the Central Asian region need to unite, closely cooperate in the direction of developing alternative energy sources, and use water potential more for the needs of agriculture and food security," the expert expressed her opinion.
Green Tajikistan
Tajikistan produces 98% of its electricity from hydropower resources. According to statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), from 2015 to 2024, the country’s installed capacity of renewable energy sources increased by 15.8%, or 781 MW — from 4,957 to 5,738 MW. The country ranks sixth in the world in terms of the share of “green” energy.
In accordance with the Strategy for the Development of the "Green" Economy in the Republic for 2023-2037, by the end of the document, the capacity of electricity production in the country from renewable energy sources will increase by 10%. The capacity of solar energy generation will be increased to 800 MW.
Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon stated that based on the Green Economy Development Strategy, the country intends to fully ensure the production of electricity from renewable sources by 2032 and become a green country by 2037.
Experts note that Tajikistan has enormous potential for the development of solar energy: from 260 to 330 sunny days per year. The total technical potential of solar generation is estimated at 25 billion kWh per year, which allows covering up to 80% of the population's electricity needs for ten months. However, despite this, solar and wind energy in the country is still at an early stage of development.
The only commercial solar power plant with a capacity of 220 kW was commissioned in Murghab in 2020. In 2025, construction of a solar power plant with a capacity of 200 MW will begin in the Sughd region. By 2027, it is planned to build small solar stations with a total capacity of more than 14 MW. In addition, from April 1, 2024, the requirement for mandatory equipment of all new and reconstructed buildings with solar power systems came into force. In recent years, the country has begun to introduce solar kitchens, dryers and greenhouses, which indicates a gradual adaptation of technologies to local conditions.
According to experts, the transition to "green" energy in the economies of Central Asian countries looks promising. The development of renewable energy sources in the context of a growing electricity deficit will help reduce dependence on traditional energy sources, avoid the negative impact of fossil fuel use on the environment, and stimulate economic growth.
However, despite the successes achieved, the development of green energy in the Central Asian region faces a number of challenges. These include the need to modernize energy infrastructure, attract private investment, create a favorable regulatory framework, and raise public awareness of the benefits of renewable energy. Overcoming these challenges will allow Central Asian countries to fully realize their potential in the field of clean energy and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.
