On February 7, 2022, the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Alisher Sultanov held talks with a delegation of Volkswagen Group Rus LLC led by CEO Stefan Mecha.

During the talks, information was provided on plans to develop the production of Euro-5 class motor fuel in the country, including gasoline and diesel fuel.

It was noted that in December 2021, the GTL plant for the production of synthetic liquid fuel based on purified methane of Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex was launched in Uzbekistan, which will significantly diversify and increase the volume of diesel fuel that meets the quality of Euro-5 standard.

The project capacity of the enterprise is 307.3 thousand tons of kerosene, 724.6 thousand tons of diesel fuel, 437.3 thousand tons of naphtha, 53.4 thousand tons of liquefied gas per year. In addition, a project is underway to modernize and reconstruct Bukhara Oil Refinery, as a result of which, starting from 2025, it is planned to produce 1.75 million tons of Euro-5 oil products.

The delegation members were also familiarized with the development of renewable energy in the country, the share of which in the total energy balance should reach at least 25 percent by 2030. The first solar power plant with a capacity of 100 MW was commissioned in 2021, and the second solar power plant is expected to be commissioned in March 2022. In 2024, it is planned to launch facilities using renewable energy sources with a capacity of 2.2 GW, as well as hydroelectric power plants with a capacity of 326 MW.

The parties exchanged views on the possibilities of implementing joint projects, agreed on a detailed consideration of promising proposals.

Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA