May 26, 2025 Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Japan Industrial Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at implementing a joint project to develop a strategy for decarbonizing the country's energy sector.
The document provides for a comprehensive study, in which the parties will assess the potential of modernizing existing thermal power plants in Uzbekistan using advanced MHI technologies and equipment. In particular, the possibility of introducing gas turbine units capable of running on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen, as well as other solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is being studied.
The project will be implemented within two years with financial support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI). The cooperation involves not only a technical assessment of the current state of generating capacities, but also the development of specific recommendations for the transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy.
The memorandum is in line with Uzbekistan's long-term strategy to gradually reduce its dependence on fossil energy sources. One of the country's key goals is to increase the share of renewable sources in the energy mix to more than 54 percent by 2030. To achieve this goal, the government actively develops cooperation with international partners and invests in the introduction of modern technologies.
The signing of the agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of the world leaders in the field of energy engineering and eco — friendly solutions, confirms Uzbekistan's desire to follow the path of sustainable development and energy transformation. It is expected that the results of the study will become the basis for implementing large-scale projects to reduce the carbon footprint of the country's energy sector.
