On 13 May, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reported on government plans to increase the country’s coal production.
The country’s coal reserves currently amount to almost 2 billion tons, and production continues to grow.
In 2023, Uzbekistan produced 6.550 million tons of coal compared to less than 4 million tons in 2016. The target this year, is to increase coal production to 8 million tons, and by 2025, up to 10 million tons.
As a result of an earlier drive by the government to attract investment in the industry from the private sector, 369 thousand tons of coal were produced in 2023 and this year, is expected to rise to 900 thousand tons.
Geological exploration is currently underway at new coal deposits in the regions of Surkhandarya, Kashkadarya and Tashkent, and according to the report, coal production in these areas should begin next year.
