A media tour for representatives of mass media was organized by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, during which journalists got acquainted with the sub-projects on introducing energy-efficient technologies and improving energy-saving processes, implemented in the framework of the joint project "Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises" of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the World Bank Group.

A media tour for representatives of mass media was organized by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, during which journalists got acquainted with the sub-projects on introducing energy-efficient technologies and improving energy-saving processes, implemented in the framework of the joint project "Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises" of the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the World Bank Group.

Today most developed and developing countries are faced with problems of effective use of all resources, including energy and raw materials. In rich-in-minerals Uzbekistan the solution of these tasks is ensured through energy efficiency measures and introduction of metering systems, use of advanced technologies and development of productive economic and financial levers of production management, use and transportation of energy resources.

The resolution of President Islam Karimov "On investment program of Uzbekistan for 2013" from 21 November 2012 and the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers "On measures to implement "Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises" project” from 25 July 2011 serve as important guidelines in this regard. In accordance with these documents a joint project of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank "Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises" was launched.

It should be noted that due to credit lines of the IDA World Bank and of commercials banks of Uzbekistan, involved in the project, most energy-intensive industrial enterprises of our country were able to significantly reduce the amount of electricity and natural gas, consumed during production process. The purpose of organizing a media tour was to bring the results of activities in the field of efficient use of energy resources in the national industries to the attention of general public and the media.

During the event, journalists visited a number of industrial enterprises of the capital and Tashkent region. Among them were JSC "Toshkent Yog-moy kombinati ", "Maxam-Chirchik", "Ammophos-Maxam" and Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, JSC "Uzpakhtasanoat".

The media representatives have shown a particular interest to the activity of JSC "Toshkent Yog-moy kombinati”. Here a project was launched to improve the energy efficiency of production to achieve savings of at least 20 percent of the annual energy consumption. As explained by experts, this is achieved through the relocation of the boiler department with installation of new generation high-efficiency boilers, providing low energy consumption with greater heat capacity and steam, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The company was granted a loan for a total amount of 960 thousand dollars for the acquisition of new technologies.

No less interesting was a visit to the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine- one of the largest industrial locomotives Uzbekistan. Today it unites 8 mining enterprises, 5 concentrating factories, 2 metallurgical, mechanical repair and lime plants, a sulfuric acid production unit, more than 20 service shops and other facilities.

- Issues of energy efficiency, reduction of energy costs is under special focus in our plant, - said the chief electrician of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine D.Timoschuk. - To date we have implemented two projects, in particular installation of a 6 KW frequency converter at the pump station 2A of tailings storage shop of the copper concentrator plant and technical re-equipment of compressor stations of zinc and copper smelters. The economic effect in 2015 amounted to 12.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity due to this.

It is necessary to emphasize that this work will continue on the AMMC in 2016-2017. Reconstruction of the unit of filtration and drying the copper gold concentrate, substation №54 and technical equipment of the compressor station of the copper smelter plant are anticipated. According to forecasts, the expected savings will amount to 17.4 million cubic meters of natural gas and 48 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

A lot of work to improve the energy efficiency of production facilities was carried out by JSC "Maxam-Chirchik" and "Ammophos-Maxam", fertilizer producers for agriculture. For example, the first enterprise in the framework of the project "Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises" has carried out the transfer of the combustion heater natural gas positions 103 to block heat-hardware reformer position 107, thanks to which natural gas savings have occurred, reduction of gross pollutant emissions into the atmosphere, increase the degree of useful heat of the reforming furnace flue gases and reducing the temperature of the flue gases, emitted into the atmosphere.

At JSC "Ammophos-Maxam" journalists were provided information on the results of the project to replace the five 800-kilowatt electric motors to less energy-intensive ones. Earlier outdated equipment consumes more than 24.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, due to the installation of the new device with capacity of 630 kilowatts consumption was reduced by more than 5.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

Energy efficiency projects are carried out at the enterprises of JSC "Uzpakhtasanoat" as well. Thus, during the tour media representatives visited "Uzbekistan" cotton processing plant. In order to reduce power consumption, the joint stock company purchased 1200 streetlights on solar batteries. This allowed to radically change lighting equipment, as well as the appearance, the infrastructure around the procurement centers and ginneries. Besides, measures to reduce energy consumption, introduce new automated motor protection devices with the use of the compressor units and inverters, as well as address issues of technical re-equipment of enterprises on the basis of modern energy-efficient equipment - Lintern installations have been successfully implemented.

According to the head of the forecasting and economic analysis of JSC "Uzpakhtasanoat" D.Rafikova, implementation of these projects will at times increase the energy efficiency of the enterprises of sphere. So, just by installing streetlights on solar power consumption resulted in annual savings of more than 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

As a result of media tour journalists were briefed that 81 subprojects on 32 domestic plants are implemented within “Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises” project, which, according to preliminary calculations, will provide an annual savings of 539 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than 252 million cubic meters of natural gas. Thus, a significant contribution to the sustainable development of our economy and achievement of objectives of the Programme of measures to reduce energy consumption, introduction of energy saving technologies in the fields of economy and social sphere in the 2015-2019 years will be made.