Listen to the article
Solar and wind power plants supplied 9.4 percent of Uzbekistan’s electricity in the first ten days of November, generating a combined 236.3 million kilowatt-hours and saving an estimated 63 million cubic metres of natural gas, the Energy Ministry reported.
Total electricity output across all sources reached 2.5 billion kWh over the period. Solar plants contributed 140.6 million kWh and wind farms 95.7 million kWh. The ministry said the renewable output also prevented the release of 136,000 tonnes of harmful substances into the atmosphere.
Thermal power plants consumed 405.5 million cubic metres of natural gas during the same ten days, underscoring how heavily the grid still depends on gas-fired generation even as the renewable share grows.
A two-day swing that illustrates the challenge
The ministry’s own daily figures make the volatility plain. On 8 November, solar and wind plants together produced 38.6 million kWh. The following day that figure fell to 11.9 million kWh — a drop of more than two-thirds in 24 hours. Over the same two days, thermal plant output rose from 187.7 million kWh to 214.2 million kWh as gas-fired stations compensated for the shortfall.
The ministry attributed the swings to seasonal and meteorological factors. Solar generation weakens in autumn and winter as daylight hours shorten and solar radiation decreases, and cloud cover further reduces panel output. Wind farms are similarly exposed: when wind speeds fall, so does their contribution to the grid.
The ministry noted that uninterrupted generation from solar and wind sources cannot be guaranteed anywhere in the world, and that thermal plants therefore remain an essential component of reliable electricity supply for households, hospitals, schools and businesses that require power around the clock.
Storage and infrastructure identified as missing links
Building additional solar and wind capacity alone will not be enough to reduce natural gas consumption significantly, the ministry said. It identified three parallel requirements: expanding electricity storage capacity so that surplus generation during peak solar hours can be held and released when demand rises; constructing new transmission networks and substations; and developing other reliable energy sources alongside renewables.
The statement reflects a broader tension in Uzbekistan’s energy transition. The country has moved quickly to commission utility-scale solar and wind projects, and the 9.4 percent renewable share in early November represents measurable progress. But the two-day generation data the ministry itself published illustrate why grid operators cannot yet treat wind and solar as firm capacity — and why gas-fired plants, for now, remain the backstop that keeps the lights on when the weather turns.