Uzbekistan’s state hydropower producer and developer JSC Uzbekhydroenergo has announced it has successfully commissioned the Zarchob hydropower plant.

The project, which commenced in August 2017 following a Presidential Decree, was completed on time despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and has started to satisfy industrial and commercial demand for electricity in the Surkhandarya region.

The commissioning ceremony for the plant was attended by senior representatives from Uzbekhydroenergo and UE Tupalang HPP, as well as staff from Zarchob small HPP-1.

This project – part of an ongoing investment to construct new hydropower plants and modernise existing ones – is part of Uzbekistan’s ambitious national energy strategy to generate a quarter of all electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The strategy aims for 3.8GW of hydro energy, 5GW of solar energy and up to 3GW of wind energy.

In 2020, Uzbekhydroenergo commissioned six hydropower plant modernisation and construction projects with total capacity of 118.3MW, capable of producing 543 million kWh of electricity. The projects created 103 new jobs and the total cost was $212.6 million, $101.4 million from Uzebekhydroenergo’s own funds and $111.2 million of foreign loans.

“Today’s successful commissioning means our country’s hydropower potential is actively growing, and we thank Uzbekistan’s hydropower engineers for their outstanding due diligence, dedication, and work,” commented Abdugani Sanginov, Chairman of the Board of JSC Uzbekhydroenergo. “Commissioning of the Zarchob small hydropower plant will make an important contribution to an optimal use of Uzbekistan’s natural resources, boost energy efficiency and increase renewable energy’s share in our country’s energy mix.”

The Zarchob plant is in the Sariasia district of Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan. It has two hydroelectric units with total capacity of 37.4MW and uses water from the Tupalang River via a 480m tunnel and a 1300m canal.

The construction project was developed by JSC Hydroproject, a subsidiary of Uzbekhydroenergo, with construction executed by To'palang HPD Platinum LLC.

Hydraulic equipment was supplied by Dongfang Electric International Corporation, leading Chinese company, with assembly and installation by highly qualified international and Uzbek specialists together with Chinese specialists.