Despite the deplorable situation in the energy sector of Central Asia, it can become a point of integration for its member countries and joint growth. Stanislav Pritchin, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Post-Soviet Studies of the National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, announced at a round table discussion.
According to him, the population of the region is growing at a faster pace. Now it is already 78 million people. Although, according to UN forecasts, this figure should have been only by 2030. Therefore, the consumption of electricity for the needs of the population is constantly growing.
«In addition to the disintegration of the energy system of Central Asia, there is also a withdrawal of old capacities from it. The last 30 years have been lost for the region in terms of creation of new energy sources. The issue of energy security is relevant and serious to date. According to the Institute of Forecasting and the Institute of Macroeconomic Research of Uzbekistan, by 2030 electricity consumption in Kazakhstan should increase by 20 percent to 136 billion kilowatt-hours, in Uzbekistan — 1.7 times to 120 billion kilowatt-hours, in Kyrgyzstan — by 50 percent up to 20 billion kilowatt-hours,» Stanislav Pritchin said.
