Uzbekistan Expands Hydropower in Southern Surxondaryo Region

Uzbekistan is accelerating the development of hydropower in the southern Surxondaryo Region. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the region to review progress and plans for new generating facilities on the Topalang River. The initiative aims to reduce energy shortages and transition the regional economy to renewable energy sources.

The large-scale hydropower construction began with the reconstruction of the Topalang reservoir. Its capacity was increased fivefold–from 100 million to 500 million cubic meters. This expansion provided the necessary water pressure for the development of new hydroelectric stations. In 2017, the Surxondaryo Region had a single hydropower plant with a capacity of 30 MW.

Over the past nine years, the number of hydropower facilities in the region has increased to 13. The total generating capacity has grown ninefold to 273.4 MW, with annual production reaching 800 million kilowatt-hours. This electricity is supplied to local residential and industrial consumers.

Hydropower plant construction is now shifting to the upper reaches of the Topalang River. During the visit, President Mirziyoyev was presented with a project for the Qishtut cascade of HPPs, a complex of three hydroelectric stations with a total capacity of 80 MW. Contractors are on-site and have commenced construction and installation activities.

Following the presentation, President Mirziyoyev instructed that the Qishtut HPP cascade be given the status of a national project. Relevant government agencies were tasked with evaluating additional options for using the Topalang River’s flow to construct new hydropower facilities. The shift to local generation is intended to ensure energy independence for the Surxondaryo Region.