Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan have agreed to establish a joint venture to implement the “green” energy corridor project. The announcement was made by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy.
On December 27, via videoconference, the operators of the three countries’ national electricity grids — Azerenerji (Azerbaijan), KEGOC (Kazakhstan), and National Electric Grids of Uzbekistan — signed the agreement.
The document aims to implement the agreement reached by the presidents of the three countries on November 13 and expand energy trading opportunities. It aligns with initiatives like the European Union’s “Green Deal,” which targets zero greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution by 2050.
Project details
A joint venture will be established in Baku, Azerbaijan, to carry out the project. Italian consultancy CESI will develop the project’s feasibility study and provide advisory services.
Future plans
Starting in 2030, Uzbekistan plans to export surplus “green” electricity generated domestically to Europe through Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
In July, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan signed a protocol in Astana for the “Central Asia–Azerbaijan–Europe Green Energy Corridor” project. Earlier, at an investment forum in Tashkent, the three countries also signed a memorandum of cooperation to integrate their energy systems.
Azerbaijan intends to lay an undersea cable across the Black Sea to link Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, and the Caspian and Black Sea regions into a unified energy corridor.
During the European Economic Days in Tashkent on November 6, Deputy Energy Minister Umid Mamadaminov stated that by 2030, Uzbekistan will be able to export 10–15 billion kWh of electricity annually.
He projected that Uzbekistan’s electricity demand in 2030 will be around 120–125 billion kWh, while the country’s production capacity is expected to reach 135 billion kWh. The surplus energy will be exported to Europe as soon as the necessary infrastructure is ready.
In August, Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov mentioned that the volume of electricity exports to Europe would depend on the capacity of the cables and the willingness of partners. The minister emphasized that Uzbekistan fully meets its domestic energy needs and is ready to supply 2–5 GW of electricity to Europe.
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