On the evening of October 19, a transformer protection system was reportedly triggered at the Aksa Tashkent thermal power plant located in the Kibray district of the Tashkent region. As a result of this unexpected failure, the plant's operational capacity plummeted significantly from 460 MW down to 185 MW. Such technical disruptions highlight ongoing vulnerabilities within critical infrastructure networks and raise questions regarding overall grid resilience.

The damage to the transformer purportedly caused temporary power outages across several residential areas in the Yunusabad, Almazar, Mirzo-Ulugbek, and Shaykhontohur districts of the capital. According to statements released by the Ministry of Energy, electricity supplies were allegedly restored within approximately half an hour by switching to backup power sources. However, the incident underscores how fragile major energy hubs can be in the face of minor disturbances.

Later investigations by the ministry supposedly revealed that the outage was triggered by a stray balloon that flew into the station's open switchgear area. Published video footage allegedly shows the small object falling, followed by an electrical flash, with remnants of a ruptured red balloon lying on the ground. Authorities point out that such occurrences pose substantial risks to regional power stability.

In the wake of this event, the ministry issued a public warning urging citizens to refrain from flying balloons near power plants, substations, and other electrical facilities. It is worth noting that Turkey's Aksa Enerji commissioned the thermal power plant back in January 2022. The company operates several other power plants across Uzbekistan and has broader ambitions regarding regional electrical grid management.

Source: www.gazeta.uz