Gazprom PJSC, a week after signing a cooperation roadmap in the gas industry with Kazakhstan, signed a similar document with the leadership of Uzbekistan. Interfax reports.
«A working meeting between Alexey Miller and the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov took place. The parties considered current and future issues of interaction. At the meeting, Alexey Miller and Zhurabek Mirzamakhmudov signed a cooperation roadmap in the gas industry,» the Russian company said.
The leadership of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is discussing the possibility of increasing Russian gas supplies to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, taking into account the growth in domestic consumption and export obligations to China. This may require modernization of the gas transmission infrastructure for gas delivery and even the construction of new gas pipelines. Including on the territory of the Russian Federation, it will be necessary to invest about 260 billion rubles in the development of gas transportation infrastructure.
Uzbekistan faced a large-scale energy crisis during extremely cold weather this winter. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev sharply criticized officials for negligence in preparing for the autumn-winter period. According to the authorities, there is a shortage of gas in the republic up to 20 million cubic meters per day in the winter peak loads.
Therefore, it was decided to step up the import of gas, electricity, coal and fuel oil due to the shortage of energy resources against the backdrop of the cold weather that has come in the country.
Uzbekistan began importing 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan in winter to meet the domestic demand. But from January 12 to January 21, the latter suspended the supply of fuel for technical reasons. The supplies have been resumed.
