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Natural gas

Uzbekistan Suspends New Gas Connections for Homes to Conserve Energy

Uzbekistan has halted the issuance of technical permits for new natural gas connections in residential and commercial buildings that use gas exclusively for heating or cooking. Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamahmudov announced the decision on October 28, according to Gazeta.uz. The measure applies to newly built properties that consume gas purely for combustion rather than industrial production. “This does not concern only apartment buildings,” Mirzamahmudov said. “According to a Cabinet of Ministers resolution, starting this year, technical permits for gas connection are no longer issued to consumers who use gas solely for burning. However, if gas is used to create added value in industry, that is allowed, because resources are limited.” Existing buildings already connected to the gas network will not be affected. In new developments, gas stoves will be replaced with electric ones, and heating will be provided through centralized or local boiler systems. The minister said that the rational use of resources has become a national priority, particularly given the country’s reliance on certain external energy supplies. “Since there are alternative sources, such as electric stoves for cooking and electricity for heating, they serve the same purpose,” he added. Mirzamahmudov said that the country’s centralized heating network is being expanded during the current heating season, with several projects under development through public-private partnerships. “Urban networks are being modernized, and cogeneration facilities are under construction. For example, on November 18 in Samarkand, during an international forum, we plan to sign a heating supply agreement based on a public-private partnership with a Saudi company,” he noted, likely referring to a project in Nukus involving the Emirati firm Tadweer. The policy shift comes amid a continued decline in domestic gas output. Uzbekistan’s natural gas production fell by 4.2% in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Production has steadily dropped from 61.59 billion cubic meters in 2018 to 44.59 billion in 2024. The new restrictions reflect the government’s growing efforts to conserve resources and improve nationwide energy efficiency.

Natural gas

Turkmenistan Halts Gas Exports to Turkey Amid Contract Talks

Turkmenistan has temporarily suspended natural gas exports to Turkey, according to an October 24 report by the Chronicles of Turkmenistan, which cited Maksat Babaev, chairman of the state concern Turkmengaz. Babaev made the announcement during a press conference following the Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan 2025 international conference. Gas deliveries began in March 2025 under a short-term contract for 2 billion cubic meters per year. The project was framed as a pilot initiative to assess technical and logistical challenges. Murad Archaev, Deputy Chairman of Turkmengaz, stated that the company is fully prepared to resume supplies. “The Turkish side was very pleased with the start of deliveries. We also support it, and once the existing issues are resolved, supplies will continue under the signed contract,” Archaev said, as quoted by MK Turkey. Babaev added that Turkmenistan has other potential buyers if an agreement on price or volume cannot be reached. “This is the market,” he said, according to Oilcapital, citing Reuters. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Turkey began importing Turkmen gas via Iran under a swap agreement, with deliveries totaling about 1.3 billion cubic meters by year-end. In May, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Ankara's intention to extend the deal for another five years. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Ministry of Energy said in October that it seeks to increase gas imports from Turkmenistan via the Caspian Sea. The ministry emphasized that the Turkish market could serve as a gateway for Turkmen gas to reach other countries, including European Union members. Earlier this year, both sides hailed the launch of deliveries as a milestone in regional energy cooperation.

Green Energy

Kazakhstan Unveils Green Energy Transition Strategy at London Forum

Kazakhstan aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its power mix to 50% by 2050, Deputy Minister of Energy Sanzhar Zharkeshov announced at the Future Resilience Forum in London. The international gathering brought together global policymakers, business leaders, and experts to address sustainable development and climate-related challenges. Zharkeshov stated that Kazakhstan is modernizing its energy legislation to accelerate the green transition. Measures include the introduction of transparent auctions and revised subsoil use regulations, steps that have helped reduce wind and solar tariffs and position Kazakhstan as one of Central Asia’s most attractive clean energy markets. The country currently operates 158 renewable energy facilities with a combined capacity exceeding 3 GW. By 2035, it plans to add another 8.4 GW. According to the Ministry of Energy, the national targets include reaching a 15% renewable share by 2030 and 50% by 2050. Kazakhstan’s green energy agenda focuses on two key priorities: expanding power grids to integrate renewable energy sources and deploying energy storage solutions, including pumped storage hydropower stations. Natural gas remains a strategic “transitional” fuel in Kazakhstan’s energy mix, offering stability while contributing to emissions reductions. The government is actively expanding gasification across regions, converting coal-fired thermal power plants to gas, and upgrading storage and transport infrastructure. Zharkeshov noted that Kazakhstan remains a reliable energy supplier and a responsible participant in the global energy system. The country supplies about 13 percent of the European Union’s oil imports and is working with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to develop alternative export routes across the Caspian Sea. “The global energy sector is undergoing a transformation driven by emission reduction policies and the shift to low-carbon sources. Kazakhstan is pursuing a balanced approach, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining energy security,” he said. He added that despite global economic challenges, Kazakhstan’s energy sector continues to show resilience and is attracting strong interest from international investors. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan also plans to construct several nuclear power plants, including a joint project with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

TAPI

Is TAPI Just ‘TA’ for Now?

The idea for the 1,800-kilometer Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project has been around for 30 years. There has not been much progress in building the pipeline during those decades. The chances of seeing TAPI realized seem far away at the moment, considering Pakistan and India were involved in fighting in May of this year, and in October, there were battles along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. However, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan are still interested in TAPI, and top officials from those two countries just met along the border to inaugurate a new section of the pipeline, and it looks like, for now, these two countries are enough. Another Ceremony Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the chairman of Turkmenistan’s Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council), went to the Turkmen-Afghan border on October 20 to meet with Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, for an event inaugurating a new section of TAPI. The ceremony for the Serhetabat-Herat section of TAPI took place just inside Afghanistan, not far from where top officials from the four countries involved, including Berdimuhamedov, gathered in February 2018 to launch construction of the Afghan section of TAPI. Berdimuhamedov made his only previous visit to Afghanistan during that ceremony, when he, the Afghan president, Pakistani prime minister, and Indian minister for state and external affairs, briefly flew to Herat to continue celebrations marking the launch. The location of the October 20 inauguration was also not far from the Islim Chesme border crossing, where Berdimuhamedov met with Afghan officials in September 2024 to again launch construction of the Afghan section of TAPI. Baradar and Berdimuhamedov spoke about the project’s importance in fostering greater regional cooperation, the economic benefits of which include creating jobs and providing energy to areas that greatly need it. Similar remarks were made by Berdimuhamedov and others at previous TAPI launches. Work did finally start after the 2024 launch. Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that according to the country’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, 14 kilometers of the pipe have been laid, and 70 more kilometers of the route are set for pipeline installation. Turkmen state media always refers to Berdimuhamedov as “Arkadag,” which means “protector” in the Turkmen language. According to Turkmen state media, the Serhetabat-Herat section of the pipeline is called “Arkadagyn Ak Yoly,” or “Arkadag’s White Road.” Tolo News also reported that, “Recently, a large quantity of gas transmission pipes was imported from Turkmenistan into Afghanistan.“ It appears the Serhetabat-Herat section of TAPI is making progress, but it could be years before the pipeline goes any farther. A More Modest Goal For nearly the entire history of the TAPI project, the major obstacle to actually building the pipeline was the security problem inside Afghanistan. That problem is not over, but it is significantly reduced now that the Taliban are again imposing brutal control over the country. Military conflicts in recent months between Pakistan and both the other partners in the TAPI project shine a spotlight on another problem that has always raised questions about the viability of...

Cost of Living

High Praise, Empty Pockets: Turkmenistan May Scrap Benefit Hikes

It seems that average Turkmen citizens will again have to find ways to ration their spending in 2026, and beyond, thanks to a proposal from a member of the country’s Council of Elders. At a session of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) on September 19, Elders’ Council member Yazmyrat Atamyradov, who, in fairness, probably drew the short straw before the session started, said that socio-economic conditions in Turkmenistan have reached such a high level that there is no longer a need for cost-of-living increases for salaries, pensions, stipends, and other benefits. "You are bestowing such blessings upon our people, Hero Arkadag!” Atamyradov said in his address. “Our sons and daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren go to school and work without a care in the world. A peaceful, carefree life itself is a priceless treasure and a great asset.” Most of Turkmenistan’s people likely would not agree with Atamyradov’s suggestion, but his words were meant for only one person, Halk Maslahaty Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who was in attendance and thanked Atamyradov for the recommendation. Most of the effusive praise for Turkmenistan’s alleged astounding socio-economic achievements was also directed at Berdimuhamedov, who served as Turkmenistan’s president from late 2006 until March 2022, when he stepped down and his son Serdar took the helm. Changes to Turkmenistan’s constitution in early 2023 made the Halk Maslahaty chairman the highest post in the country. A Deteriorating Economy There is no basis for Atamyratov’s assertion that living conditions are improving in Turkmenistan. The suggestion to cut annual payment increases more likely means the authorities can no longer afford to continue funding cost-of-living increases. Turkmenistan has the fourth largest reserves of natural gas in the world, and in the early years after independence, in late 1991, then-President Saparmurat Niyazov forecast the country would soon become a second Kuwait and everyone would be driving Mercedes. It has not worked out like that at all. Turkmenistan has a lot of gas, but only a few customers. The steep drop in gas prices in 2015 devastated Turkmenistan’s economy, which is about 80% dependent on revenue from gas sales, and has never recovered. The first food shortages independent Turkmenistan had ever seen started in 2016. Flour, cooking oil, sugar, eggs, and other basic goods were often not available at state stores where goods are sold at a subsidized price, but have always been available at privately-owned stores and at bazaars, where the price is two or three times more expensive. Eventually, rationing was introduced on bread. Customers were limited to two and sometimes only one churek (flat, round bread) per person. In some areas, police were tasked with monitoring sales to ensure no one bought more than their allotment. Often, there were more customers than bread, and in many places, including the capital, Ashgabat, lines started forming outside state stores before the sun came up. The authorities responded by telling people to line up behind the store so they could not be seen from the street. Fast forward to 2025, where in...

Natural gas

Outdated Infrastructure Threatens Central Asia’s Energy Security

Central Asia’s natural gas sector is facing mounting pressure as population growth and rising consumption outpace production, SpecialEurasia reports. The region’s population now exceeds 70 million, with annual growth rates surpassing 2% in many republics. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan together account for more than 95% of Central Asia’s gas reserves. Combined, they hold approximately 3.5 trillion cubic meters (tcm) of proven reserves. Turkmenistan alone possesses an estimated 17 tcm, giving it the world’s fourth-largest proven gas reserves outside the Middle East and Russia. Despite these substantial reserves, aging infrastructure and insufficient investment continue to hamper production capacity. Kazakhstan produces around 59 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually, Uzbekistan 45 bcm, and Turkmenistan 81 bcm. However, surging domestic demand has outstripped supply, compelling Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to import gas from Russia, a dependency that dates back to the 1990s but is becoming increasingly fraught amid current geopolitical tensions. Much of the region’s pipeline infrastructure remains from the Soviet era and lacks the capacity to meet contemporary needs, according to SpecialEurasia. Turkmenistan remains heavily reliant on a single pipeline route to Russia, while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan depend on Russian energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft for imports and infrastructure maintenance. Efforts to diversify export routes beyond Russia have encountered difficulties due to limited infrastructure and geopolitical uncertainty. China has emerged as a dominant player in the region, funding pipeline and transportation projects through the Belt and Road Initiative. These investments have enhanced connectivity with Chinese markets but have also increased Central Asia’s economic dependence on Beijing. Meanwhile, the European Union has advocated for green energy and digitization, though its financial commitments remain modest compared to those of Russia and China. Iran is positioning itself as a potential transit corridor, offering Central Asia access to seaports. However, international sanctions and persistent geopolitical tensions continue to limit broader cooperation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further strained Moscow’s regional relationships, diminishing its capacity to provide the kind of support it once did. Central Asian governments now face the challenge of maintaining a strategic balance among Russia, China, and Western powers to ensure both economic resilience and political autonomy. SpecialEurasia concludes that without substantial investment in infrastructure, greater economic diversification, and a more balanced approach to foreign partnerships, Central Asia will remain vulnerable despite its abundant natural gas resources.