Coal production volume in Uzbekistan will be raised to 10 million tons in 2025. This was discussed at a government meeting chaired by Shavkat Mirziyoyev on May 13.
In January, the president set the goal of increasing coal production by 22% given the demand by the population and industries.”
In 2016, production level was less than 4 million tons per year. In 2023, it increased by more than 15% and reached 6.55 million tons. The private sector accounted for 369 thousand tons. As Gazeta.uz wrote, coal imports also increased.
This year, production is planned to increase to 8 million tons, of which 900 thousand tons will be produced by entrepreneurs, it was noted at the presentation.
Coal is “the optimal source of energy in certain industries,” the presidential press service said in a statement. The country's coal reserves are estimated at almost 2 billion tons.
The president gave instructions to officials to implement international standards in the industry, improving the quality of coal and accelerating investment projects.
Using advanced foreign experience, work on assessing and drilling coal seams continues. These measures should help increase coal production, the report says.
In April, it was reported that Uzbekistan plans to abandon state regulation of coal prices and switch to the wholesale and retail pricing based on market principles.
In recent years, in Uzbekistan, in order to save natural gas, some greenhouses, cement and brick factories, as well as kindergartens, schools and hospitals began to switch to coal fuel. In 2023, the transfer of 5,407 social facilities, 1,147 greenhouses and 250 factories was expected.
