Uzbekistan’s Gas Shortage Forces Residents to Use Coal, Firewood, and Dung

Despite Uzbekistan’s abundant natural gas reserves, many residents are turning to coal, firewood, and even dung for heating, leading to significant environmental problems, according to a report by Radio Azattyk. Experts warn of worsening air pollution and other ecological consequences, as highlighted by the International Energy Agency, while the government plans to expand coal use. Energy officials claim gas production exceeds domestic demand by threefold. However, production has been in decline for five consecutive years. Today, many households rely on coal and other alternatives for heating and cooking, while power plants that once operated on gas are transitioning to coal. According to the World Bank, in 2019, air pollution from fine particulate matter (PM2.5) led to 89 deaths per 100,000 people in Uzbekistan. Environmentalists argue that the increased reliance on coal accelerates climate change, while illegal tree cutting exacerbates ecological damage. Residents blame the government for failing to provide effective alternatives, a problem that worsens during the winter months. “In the city center, the gas pressure in the pipes is so low in winter that the stoves don’t warm. People are forced to burn coal, manure, and even fruit trees,” said Ferghana-based activist Abdusalom Ergashev. In response to widespread deforestation, the government has tightened regulations, with fines for illegal tree felling now reaching 17 million UZS (USD $1,300). Additionally, violators must plant 100 saplings for every tree cut down. In rural areas, families prepare for winter by collecting firewood, drying dung, and purchasing coal. The average household burns approximately 1.5 tons of coal per season, supplemented by cotton stalks, wood, and nut shells. Environmental consequences are becoming increasingly visible. In one video, popular blogger Akmal Isomiddinov highlighted the suffocating smog enveloping Ferghana, a phenomenon occurring across much of the country. Uzbekistan ranks among the leading nations in natural gas reserves, with an estimated 1.8 trillion cubic meters. However, its fields are depleting, and new developments require advanced technologies. Gas production in the first 10 months of 2024 totaled nearly 39 billion cubic meters, a 4.8% decline year-on-year. By comparison, production peaked at 61.6 billion cubic meters in 2018, dropping to 46.7 billion cubic meters in 2023. The government has set a goal to increase production by 33% and return to 2018 levels by 2030. Meanwhile, coal production continues to rise. From less than 4 million tons in 2016, output reached 6.5 million tons in 2023, with plans to increase production to 10 million tons by 2025. Thousands of schools, kindergartens, and hospitals were ordered to switch from gas to coal in 2023. Despite these challenges, the government asserts it is taking steps to combat climate change, including investing in green energy, providing subsidies for electric vehicles, and planting 200 million trees as part of a national campaign.

World Bank’s Kyrgyzstan Head Discusses Energy Sector Needs

Worn-out energy infrastructure, power shortages and dependence on imports: authorities in the Kyrgyz Republic will have difficult tasks to address in order to ensure the republic's energy security over the next decades, said the head of the World Bank's Kyrgyzstan office, Naveed Hassan Naqvi, in an interview  with the state news agency, Kabar. Hassan Naqvi noted that energy issues are very serious and affect not only Kyrgyzstan, but the entire region, and the development of this sector directly affects the lives of people throughout Central Asia. The recent accident at Bishkek's thermal power plant showed how vulnerable the energy sector can be, and how much people rely upon it. "As you know, the installed capacity in the Kyrgyz Republic is about 3,900 megawatts, about 800 megawatts of which comes from the coal-fired Bishkek combined heat power (CHP) plant. The rest of the capacity is provided mainly by hydropower. It is important to note here that more than half, maybe even 60% of electricity transmission and distribution networks are used beyond their (service) life and need to be replaced. If we talk about hydroelectric power plants and their equipment, we see a similar situation - more than half of the facilities need replacement or repair," the head of the World Bank office emphasized. The World Bank office has long been following the situation in Kyrgyzstan, and helped develop a strategy to put the sector on the path to modernization. One of the key factors for solving problems, according to the international financial organization, is not only modernizing and replacing old equipment, but the need to increase tariffs paid by the population. Existing tariffs in the republic are the fifth cheapest in the world, meaning the authorities spend 2-3% of the country's GDP subsidizing them. In May 2023, the authorities raised electricity tariffs for government organizations, businesses, and household consumers. "As a result of dialog and close cooperation with the government, we started working in several areas, including tariff reform and calculating the installed capacity the country will need by 2050. Our assessment showed that the existing installed capacity in the country is 3,900 megawatts, but the country will need 10,000 megawatts by 2050," said Hassan Naqvi. In 2022, the World Bank allocated $50 million to the republic to modernize the energy infrastructure for household consumers: upgrading transformers, transmission lines, and installing smart meters to improve the efficiency of the energy grid. A year later, the World Bank provided another $80 million in the form of a subsidized loan to improve power grids and support small-scale energy - namely the construction of micro hydropower plants (HPPs) on Kyrgyzstan's numerous rivers. Lastly, in the fall of 2023, the bank allocated $5 million to the republic for a feasibility study of a new large HPP, Kambarata-1. The World Bank is slated to provide another $150-$200 million of the $500 million needed for its construction. Kyrgyzstan is also working with local partners on the construction of the first large joint Kyrgyz-Kazakh solar power plant in...