First entirely domestic hydropower plant launched on Uzbekistan's Naryn River
On March 25 of last year, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inaugurated the construction of new power plants in Namangan region. Today, the first stage of the Naryn Hydropower Cascade has been commissioned, UzA reports.
During his trip to the region, the Head of State reviewed the new energy facility.
The development of renewable energy sources has been defined as a strategic direction for ensuring the sustainability of the national economy. In recent years, more than ten solar and wind power plants, as well as hydropower stations with a total capacity of 450 megawatts, have been launched in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand, and Surkhandarya regions.
Currently, the joint-stock company Uzbekhydroenergo is implementing a project to build a cascade of six hydropower plants on the Naryn River, with a total cost exceeding $428 million and a combined capacity of 228 megawatts.
The first stage, HPP-1, has now been launched. Importantly, it was built entirely using domestic materials and equipment, making it the country’s first national hydropower plant.
HPP-1 is designed to generate 171 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and create 130 new jobs. The implementation of the project will provide electricity to 430,000 households and save 290 million cubic meters of gas per year, equivalent to nearly 300 billion UZS. Thus, the Naryn Cascade holds not only energy-related but also significant social and economic importance.
For the first time in the history of Uzbekistan’s hydropower industry, horizontal capsule hydro units have been introduced here. Distinguished by their high efficiency even under low water pressure, they mark a new chapter in the development of national hydropower.
The station has been equipped with a spillway facility, as well as administrative and service buildings and a dispatch center. To protect the environment and improve the area, 6,000 decorative trees have been planted, with another 7,000 fruit saplings planned for planting in the spring.
Thus, the facility will also become a center of eco-tourism.
Overall, the Naryn Hydropower Cascade is a strategic project aimed at developing a green economy and improving the well-being of the population. The second and third stations are scheduled to be launched in 2026, with the remaining ones in 2027. Each of them will have a capacity of 38 megawatts and create new jobs.
Such large-scale energy projects are of key importance for providing the population with a stable electricity supply, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of industrial sectors, and increasing economic efficiency.
Notably, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ACWA Power Company (ACWA Power) signed a $51 million loan package to build the Nukus 2 Wind and Battery Energy Storage facility in Uzbekistan’s Qoraozak district in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
