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Renewable energy

Chinese Investor Plans 500 MW Solar and Wind Power Plants in Tajikistan

Chinese company Dayu New Energy Limited plans to develop solar and wind power plants in the Kubodiyon and Jaihun districts of Tajikistan’s Khatlon region. With a combined installed capacity of 500 megawatts, the project would rank among the largest renewable energy initiatives in the region. During negotiations, it was emphasized that Khatlon has been strengthening its economic ties with Chinese firms and offers favorable conditions for the construction of infrastructure and energy facilities. The region is seen as a key zone for attracting foreign direct investment. Dayu New Energy CEO David Liu noted that the company has operated in the renewable energy sector since 2018, specializing in the construction and operation of solar and wind power stations. He added that the firm is currently implementing wind energy projects in Georgia and Kazakhstan, underscoring its practical experience and technological capacity. Following the meeting, the head of the Khatlon region expressed support for the project and confirmed his willingness to facilitate its development. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Tajikistan has significantly accelerated its transition to green energy. The country has already launched its largest solar initiative to date: the construction of two photovoltaic power plants with a combined capacity of 500 MW, an unprecedented move for the republic. In a related development, the Asian Development Bank recently approved a $1 million grant to support technical assistance for floating solar photovoltaic systems in Tajikistan.

Renewable energy

Kazakhstan’s Renewable Energy Share Reaches 7% in National Energy Mix

By the end of 2025, renewable energy sources (RES) accounted for 7% of Kazakhstan’s electricity generation, up from 6.43% the previous year. This modest but steady increase was driven by the commissioning of nine new RES facilities with a combined capacity of 503 MW, including wind, solar, and hydroelectric power plants. While Kazakhstan still lags behind global leaders in the energy transition, it is considered one of Central Asia’s most institutionally structured and balanced markets for green energy development. The country currently operates 162 renewable energy facilities with a total installed capacity of approximately 3.5 GW. The sector remains diversified: 67 wind farms, 49 solar power plants, 43 hydropower facilities, and three biogas stations contribute to the overall mix. A key driver of Kazakhstan’s renewable energy expansion is its auction-based model for project selection, which enhances transparency and attracts private investment. Under the 2024-2027 plan, the government aims to deploy 6.7 GW of new renewable capacity, of which around 4 GW had already been allocated by December 2025. The participation of international players, including Total Eren, Masdar, China Power International Holding, and China Energy, has bolstered the sector’s technological and financial resilience. In comparison, Uzbekistan has emerged as the region’s most dynamic renewable energy market, focusing on large-scale solar and wind projects led by foreign investors. Although the share of renewables in Uzbekistan’s energy mix remains below 10%, its annual capacity additions have outpaced Kazakhstan’s in absolute terms. Unlike Kazakhstan’s market-based approach, Uzbekistan’s model relies more heavily on large, state-structured contracts, which speeds up implementation but limits competition and diversification. Total investment in Uzbekistan’s renewable sector is estimated at roughly $6 billion, with key backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan formally lead the region in renewable energy share due to their reliance on hydropower, which accounts for 80-90% of their electricity generation. However, this heavy dependence makes their energy systems highly vulnerable to seasonal and climatic fluctuations. Turkmenistan remains the regional outlier, with a power sector almost entirely reliant on natural gas despite significant solar potential. Renewable projects there are limited and largely experimental. In this context, Kazakhstan occupies an intermediate position, between the hydropower-heavy economies of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and the fast-growing but centralized market of Uzbekistan. Its relatively low starting share in renewables is offset by a stable institutional framework, competitive project selection, and strong international participation. Kazakhstan’s targets, to raise renewable energy’s share to 15% by 2030 and to 50% by 2050, are ambitious but feasible, provided green energy development remains aligned with investments in base-load generation.

Organization of Turkic States (OTS)

Organization of Turkic States Discusses Key Eurasian Energy Projects

At the 5th meeting of ministers responsible for energy within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), held on December 10 in Istanbul, OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev outlined major joint energy initiatives underway among member states. Founded in 2009, the OTS comprises Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Hungary and Northern Cyprus participate as observer states. Omuraliev touched upon the following projects: Major oil and gas routes such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipeline, South Caucasus Pipeline, Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), and the Iğdır-Nakhchivan gas pipeline; A strategic partnership between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to develop and transmit green energy; The Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey-Bulgaria Green Energy Corridor, which extends the Central Asia-Azerbaijan corridor and opens new avenues for energy exports to Europe; Construction of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant in Kyrgyzstan, a project jointly developed with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan; and A planned Black Sea submarine cable to transmit renewable energy. Omuraliev emphasized that enhanced intra-OTS cooperation bolsters both the economic potential of member states and regional energy security. Ministers at the meeting noted the significant fossil fuel and clean energy resources held by OTS members and observers, describing the region as a strategic energy bridge between Asia and Europe. They stressed that advancing practical cooperation is essential amid growing global energy demand and the accelerating energy transition. Participants agreed to move forward with joint projects under the OTS framework, including the establishment of a Regional Center for Technologies and Green Initiatives. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, on December 5, the Board of Governors of the Turkic Investment Fund announced in Bishkek that the fund will begin operations in the first quarter of 2026. The Turkic Investment Fund is the first dedicated financial institution jointly established by OTS member states. Headquartered in Istanbul, its mandate is to promote economic cooperation, boost intra-regional trade, and support sustainable development by financing major joint initiatives across the region.

Renewable energy

Kazakhstan Launches First Domestic Green Hydrogen Production Station

Kazakhstan has unveiled its first fully integrated green hydrogen production station, a significant milestone in the country’s transition toward renewable energy and industrial innovation. The project, spearheaded by the Renewable Energy Laboratory at Nazarbayev University in Astana, is the first of its kind in Kazakhstan to receive a national patent, according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Powered entirely by solar and wind energy, the pilot facility uses innovative, locally developed catalysts to convert renewable electricity into hydrogen through electrolytic water splitting. The hydrogen is then stored and can be used as fuel for motor vehicles or standalone generators. Currently, the laboratory-scale station is capable of filling a six-cubic-meter hydrogen cylinder in three hours. “This is a significant step toward the practical implementation of hydrogen technologies in Kazakhstan. What began as laboratory prototypes has evolved into a functional, outdoor industrial-scale system,” said Professor Nurshat Nurazhi, head of the Renewable Energy Laboratory. The project was developed in collaboration with Zhejiang H2-Bank Technology Co., Ltd. of China. “Partnership with an industrial leader ensured scalability and compliance with international standards for hydrogen production and safety,” noted Dr. Yerbolat Magazov, head of the hydrogen production team. “This system demonstrates the potential of domestic innovation in clean energy and sets a milestone for Kazakhstan’s scientific community.” The Kazakh government has identified hydrogen as a strategic component of its low-carbon transition. The Concept for the Development of Hydrogen Energy through 2030, approved in 2024, outlines hydrogen’s critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and diversifying the national energy mix.

Renewable energy

Kyrgyzstan’s Renewable Pivot and the Strategic Weight of China’s Rising Role

China’s energy engagement in Central Asia has undergone a quiet but decisive transformation since 2018. What was once a relationship built almost entirely on pipelines, hydrocarbons, and state-backed fossil fuel projects is now expanding into a much more diversified portfolio in which renewable energy plays an increasingly central role. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were the first to attract large-scale Chinese commitments in solar and wind power, yet Kyrgyzstan is quickly emerging as the newest frontier in this shift. Recent agreements demonstrate how Bishkek is rapidly positioning itself within China’s clean energy expansion. In 2022, Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement with Chinese investors to build a 1-gigawatt solar plant in Issyk-Kul. Furthermore, the government concluded another agreement with Shenzhen Energy Group for the construction of two additional power plants, one solar and one wind. The Energy Ministry has also reached an investment deal with States Technology Co. and San Energy Co. for a 250-megawatt solar facility in Batken. These projects indicate that Chinese capital is not only filling Kyrgyzstan’s immediate energy gaps, but is also beginning to reshape the country’s long-term energy structure. This push toward solar and wind arrives at a critical moment. Kyrgyzstan remains overwhelmingly dependent on hydropower, which generates more than 90% of the country’s electricity. Yet this climate-sensitive resource is now far less stable than in the past. Shifts in water levels driven by changing weather patterns have introduced new uncertainties into the country’s ability to meet domestic demand. At the same time, electricity consumption has surged at an unprecedented rate, rising by nearly one billion kilowatt hours in a single year due to newly launched industrial enterprises and rapid residential construction. The combination of climate volatility and soaring consumption has placed the energy system under severe strain. The government has declared a three-year energy emergency and introduced consumption restrictions designed to save approximately 40 kilowatt hours per month. Under these conditions, diversifying away from near-total reliance on hydropower is no longer optional but an urgent strategic necessity. Solar and wind investments offer a viable path forward. Expanding renewable capacity will give Kyrgyzstan a more predictable and resilient energy base, enabling the country to better manage seasonal shortages and climate-driven disruptions. Kyrgyzstan also imports all of its fossil fuels. As renewable capacity expands and the use of electric vehicles increases, the country could gradually reduce its dependence on oil imports from Russia, easing both financial pressures and geopolitical exposure. For this reason, cooperation with China represents more than a set of commercial transactions. It is evolving into a strategic pillar of Kyrgyzstan’s broader effort to strengthen energy security and modernize its power system. Chinese companies bring financing, technology, and implementation speed, all of which are essential for a country facing immediate and long-term energy risks. The benefits may extend beyond the domestic market. With sufficient renewable capacity, Kyrgyzstan could eventually re-enter regional electricity trade as an exporter. Some estimates suggest that cross-border energy sales could generate up to 220 million dollars annually in foreign currency earnings, providing a significant...

Hydropower

Tajikistan Completes Modernization of Kairakkum Hydropower Plant

On November 20, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon officially inaugurated three newly modernized hydroelectric units at the Kairakkum Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Guliston, located in the northern Sughd region. Situated on the Syr Darya River, the Kairakkum HPP comprises six hydroelectric units, the last of which was commissioned in 1957. Over nearly seven decades of operation, the plant’s equipment had become outdated, leading to a decline in generation capacity. The facility currently provides electricity to approximately 500,000 residents in Sughd province. A modernization project for the aging plant began in August 2019. The first three upgraded units were brought online in September 2024. With the completion of the remaining three units, all six have now been fully renovated. [caption id="attachment_39735" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image: president.tj[/caption] Each upgraded unit now has a capacity of 29 MW, bringing the plant’s total capacity from 126 MW to 174 MW, an increase of 60 MW. As a result, annual electricity generation has risen from 650 million kWh to 900 million kWh. The modernization was backed by a $196 million financing package led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which included: An $88 million EBRD loan A $37 million loan from the European Investment Bank A $50 million loan and grant from the Green Climate Fund A $21 million loan and grant from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), directed to state-owned utility Barki Tojik. Tajikistan, which possesses vast hydropower potential but suffers from chronic energy shortages, has prioritized hydropower projects in recent years. Chief among them is the ongoing construction of the massive Rogun Dam and hydropower plant. These initiatives aim not only to address domestic supply issues but also to establish Tajikistan as a regional electricity exporter.