Stability of power supply — a key issue for investors looking to build data centers in Uzbekistan — PA
International investors considering building data centers in Uzbekistan are primarily asking about the stability of electricity supply, said Bobur Khodjayev, a spokesman for the Presidential Administration. The government is paying special attention to Karakalpakstan, which has high green energy potential.
PA: Stability of power supply is a key issue for investors planning to build data centers in Uzbekistan
For international investors planning to build data centers in Uzbekistan, the continuity of power supply is becoming increasingly important. This was announced by Bobur Khodjayev, Head of the Department for Financial Technologies, Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of the Presidential Administration, at the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum held in Tashkent on August 24, Gazeta correspondent reports.
According to Khodjayev, over the past six years, significant work has been carried out to increase energy capacity in the country, including the conclusion of power purchase agreements (PPAs).
"We have signed many PPA agreements. Currently, more than 30 percent of electricity generation is accounted for by green energy. This is another attractive factor for international investors who are ready to build data centers in Uzbekistan, because the country can provide them with green electricity," said Bobur Khodjayev.
The government is paying special attention to Karakalpakstan for the location of such facilities.
"We deliberately chose Karakalpakstan to build data centers, because Karakalpakstan has large reserves of renewable energy. There are already several international investors building wind and solar power plants there," said a representative of the Presidential Administration.
Bobur Khodjayev noted that the government, together with the Ministry of Energy, is working on providing future data centers with sustainable electricity.
"But, of course, the stability of electricity supply is the number one question that investors ask us during negotiations," he said.
Roman Rybalkin, director of the international rating agency S&P Global Ratings, who participated in the discussion, noted that rapid economic growth and population growth require further expansion of the region's energy capacity.
"This is one of the reasons why Uzbekistan is focusing on the rapid development of green energy. Investors from the Persian Gulf countries are undoubtedly taking the lead in this," said the S&P Global Ratings representative.
He also linked the growth in demand for electricity to the development of nuclear energy in Central Asia.
"That is why we are also seeing a move towards nuclear energy. Uzbekistan has a nuclear power plant project in the Jizzakh region, and Kazakhstan has a large nuclear power plant project that is in the initial development stage. In general, energy is one of the main issues on the agenda, and green energy is undoubtedly one of the answers to this call," said Roman Rybalkin.
BCG Managing Director Rza Nuriyev presented the "four pillars" of Karakalpakstan's development until 2035 in June 2025.
"A prime location for cheap green energy, energy-intensive manufacturing, meat and dairy farming, and exotic tourism" - this is how he believes Karakalpakstan will be perceived in the future.