The Energy Ministries of Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed that the Russian System Operator would join the Unified Energy System of Central Asia (UES CA), the Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev said following negotiations during the visit of the Russian Prime Minister to Uzbekistan, TASS said.

The System Operator is a specialized organization that carries out centralized operational dispatch control within the Unified Energy System of Russia.

“Today there was a joint statement by the two ministries with a request to support a swift decision. There is a separate energy system of Central Asia, which we are not yet part of. But [the System Operator] must join in order to jointly manage the unified energy system of Central Asia, we are connected to it. The Uzbek side fully supports this. We will do this in the near future,” the Russian Energy Minister said.

Sergey Tsivilev added that this initiative was related not only to commercial exports of electricity, but also to the management of flows between countries, which will allow for the prompt balancing of energy systems in the event of a deficit, natural factors and high loads.

“If suddenly something happens in some country, so that we can quickly support the countries’ needs with flows in order to balance it out. <...> This is important so that we ensure the security of the system correctly,” added the Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov (quoted by TASS).

The press release of the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan did not mention this agreement. Reportedly, the ministers discussed the ways to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, attracting investment in the fuel and energy complex and implementing new projects. Proposals were also made “to consistently strengthen energy relations between Uzbekistan and Russia.”

Earlier, Inter RAO, the only operator of electricity export and import in the Russian Federation, said that they were working on the possibility of exporting electricity to Uzbekistan. Deliveries may begin in the fall.

Currently, the Central Asian Power System (CAPS) includes Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, South Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. In May, it became known that Tajikistan would also join the system.

The United Power System (UPS) of Central Asia and South Kazakhstan was created in the 1970s. It is managed by the coordination and dispatch center in Tashkent and allows balancing seasonal fluctuations in electricity demand and water needs during the irrigation period.