Uzbekistan, Tashkent – AN Podrobno.uz. The government of Uzbekistan has signed a decree launching a major public-private partnership (PPP) project to attract $357 million in direct investment into the electricity distribution infrastructure of the Samarkand region. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved the initiative.

Under the terms of the deal, the distribution networks will remain fully state-owned, but management and operation will be handed over to a private operator for a 12-year period. The primary goal is to replace outdated equipment, eliminate power shortages, and ensure a stable electricity supply for residents and new industrial facilities.

Following an international tender, Turkish company Aksa Elektrik Perakende Satış A.Ş. was selected as the investor, establishing a local subsidiary, Aksa Samarqand Electricity Distribution. In the first two years of the transition period, the investor will allocate at least $27 million, followed by large-scale reconstruction of power lines and the introduction of digital management systems.

A key condition of the agreement is the systematic reduction of electricity losses. A target schedule will be set based on a technical audit: if baseline losses are 20-25%, they must be reduced by 1.4 percentage points annually; if losses are 15-20%, the reduction target is 0.6 percentage points per year.

The Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will monitor the investor's compliance with all obligations and investment volumes.

Earlier, it was reported that Uzbekistan plans to introduce a unified energy passport for each mahalla (neighborhood), containing information about consumers, the condition of electrical and gas networks, and necessary repair and modernization works.

Source: podrobno.uz