What Can Uzbekistan Offer to Europe in Terms of Energy?
What Can Uzbekistan Offer to Europe in Terms of Energy?
In this next part of our series, we examine what kind of cooperation Europe can expect with Uzbekistan on energy front. As Europe has accelerated its search for diversified, secure and low-carbon energy cooperation in the last couple of years, Central Asia is increasingly entering this conversation. Despite the vast fossil reserves, Uzbekistan stands out as a pivotal player among the region’s states. It has substantial natural gas reserves, growing renewable capacity, and a government whose utmost priority is a longstanding reform. With those in mind, Uzbekistan can easily position itself as both a regional energy hub and a potential long-term partner for Europe. Uzbekistan can of course join the traditional suppliers for the European Union, but with smart strategies, it can also complement Europe’s diversification goal in a mutually meaningful way.
The strategic position of gas-rich Uzbekistan is crucial for Eurasia. Uzbekistan remains a major natural gas producer in the broader region, with annual production exceeding 50 billion cubic meters (bcm), although the continuously growing domestic demand has recently absorbed an increasing share of production. For Europe, Uzbek gas does not represent an immediate, large-scale alternative to US LNG, or gas from Norway or Algeria. The main reason for this is the infrastructural constraint. Uzbekistan is a landlocked country, and its main export pipelines currently run through the Central Asia-China Gas Pipeline system and via the Soviet legacy routes connected to Russia. Despite this, Uzbekistan’s potential in gas remains strategically relevant. Why? Because long-term upstream investments and efficiency improvement could stabilize production and free volumes for export. Also, regional cooperation with its neighboring countries – namely Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan – could eventually strengthen a Central Asian supply corridor. And we should not forget to mention that if the trans Caspian infrastructure projects materialize in the future, Uzbek gas could indirectly contribute to flows reaching the South Caucasus and Europe. In this sense, Uzbekistan represents an extensive diversification tool for Europe within a broader Eurasian framework.
Where Uzbekistan’s offer to Europe becomes more compelling is in renewables. The country possesses some of the most favorable solar irradiation levels in Eurasia, with average global horizontal irradiation around 4.5–5 kWh/m²/day. Vast desert areas are well suited for utility-scale photovoltaic projects. Tashkent has set ambitious targets: by 2030, it aims to install around 12 GW of renewable capacity, including approximately 7 GW of solar and 5 GW of wind power. Major projects have already been launched through competitive tenders supported by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. This also creates a great opportunity for European companies to take an active role in project development, technology transfer and grid modernization.
We should also broaden this argument with raw materials as Europe’s Green Deal and fastened green transition ambitions made access to critical raw materials a strategic priority. Uzbekistan holds significant reserves of copper, gold, molybdenum and other minerals essential for renewable technologies, electric grids and battery systems.
Copper for instance, is indispensable for electrification, from wind turbines to transmission lines and electric vehicles. As the EU implements its Critical Raw Materials Act and seeks to reduce excessive dependence on single suppliers, partnerships with resource-rich but politically diversified countries become increasingly valuable. Uzbekistan’s strategy to modernize its mining sector and move up the value chain aligns with European interests. In this regard, joint ventures, technology partnerships and sustainable extraction standards could also create mutually beneficial supply chains.
Uzbekistan has also expressed ambitions to develop nuclear power to diversify its electricity mix and reduce its dependence on gas-fired generation. Although current projects primarily involve Russian technology, the broader nuclear ecosystem – from safety standards to human capital development – offers opportunities for European engagement. In this context, European states with nuclear experience, such as Hungary, have already engaged in training and technical cooperation.
In addition to considering the possibilities, it is also important to remain realistic. Uzbekistan cannot, in the short term, supply Europe with large volumes of gas due to infrastructural and geographical constraints. Nor can it rapidly export large quantities of green electricity without substantial new cross-border investments. Ultimately, what Uzbekistan can offer Europe is optionality. In an era of geopolitical fragmentation, diversified partnerships reduce vulnerability. Uzbekistan’s combination of gas resources, renewable potential, critical minerals and reform momentum positions it as a credible long-term partner.
Author: Blanka Benkő-Kovács, advisor - LCTS, LUPS
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