Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 14 October 2014, a ceremony was held in the Yangiyul district of Tashkent region to launch and commence construction of important projects in the Tashkent region.

Tashkent region holds strategic significance in the country’s economy, with the potentials of this region and the capital complementing each other.

Over the past five years, industrial production in Tashkent region has increased by 1.5 times, reaching 107 trillion soums, while regional exports have surged 3.5 times to nearly US$1 billion.

A favorable business and investment climate has contributed to an increase in investment volumes and the implementation of advanced technologies. In 2018, only US$20 million was invested in the region, whereas last year, that figure rose to US$1 billion. The number of enterprises with foreign capital is also growing annually and currently stands at 1,700.

Currently, there are 91 foreign investment projects underway, totaling US$20.36 billion, along with 28 domestic investment projects worth US$4.5 billion.

President Shavkat Mirziyoev highlighted the significance of these projects during the ceremony.

Notably, in the city of Almalyk, a special industrial technopark named "Great Silk Road" will be constructed with an investment of US$1 billion over an area of 227 hectares. This park will house approximately 100 enterprises in sectors such as electrical engineering, textiles, building materials, and pharmaceuticals. It is expected to create 3,000 new jobs and generate products worth 5 trillion soums annually, with export opportunities of US$300 million.

In the Yukhari Chirchik district, a textile industrial park covering 69 hectares will be established with an investment of US$350 million, hosting over 20 enterprises specializing in yarn, dyed fabrics, and finished textile products.

The production and export of food products in Uzbekistan is consistently increasing. By 2030, the goal is to double food production, quintuple exports, and triple the level of added value. The Tashkent region will undoubtedly play a significant role in achieving this objective.

In particular, new facilities for producing 50,000 tons of mineral fertilizers and chemicals annually will be launched in the Yangiyul district, while high-quality, export-oriented food production facilities will be established in Kibray.

The Tashkent region also has substantial potential in the energy sector, with a capacity of 5.7 gigawatts. To increase this capacity, six projects with a total capacity of over 800 megawatts are being implemented, with an investment of US$1.5 billion.

In addition to the development of green energy, significant efforts are being made to maintain the stability of the energy system. By 2030, plans are in place to construct energy storage systems with a total capacity of 4,100 megawatts.

Three projects involving leading Chinese companies will play an important role in this regard. In particular, a solar power plant costing US$240 million will be built in the Bukhara district in collaboration with "China Datang." This plant will generate 576 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, sufficient to supply 240,000 households. As a result, generation capacity in the region will reach 6.5 gigawatts, with annual electricity production totaling 24 billion kilowatt-hours.

Two additional projects for energy storage systems with a capacity of 200 megawatts, costing US$220 million, will be constructed in the Parkent and Pskent districts in collaboration with "China Energy Overseas Investment." These will help prevent outages during peak hours and reliably supply electricity to consumers.

In recent years, new hydropower plants with a capacity of over 400 megawatts have been built in the country with an investment of US$630 million, bringing the total capacity of hydropower to 2.2 gigawatts.

Research indicates that there is potential to build 44 hydropower plants with a capacity of 3,280 megawatts, particularly in the Tashkent region, which has significant hydropower potential.

Currently, there are 25 hydropower plants in the region with a total capacity of 1,330 megawatts, accounting for 60 percent of the total hydropower capacity in the republic.

Four more hydropower plants with a cost of US$880 million and a capacity of 340 megawatts are under construction. Additionally, by 2028, 23 projects with a total capacity of approximately 2,400 megawatts will be implemented in the region at a cost of US$4.8 billion.

During the ceremony, two projects were inaugurated: a small hydropower plant with a capacity of 2.5 megawatts in the Akhangaran district and a small Ugam hydropower plant with a capacity of 1.5 megawatts in the Bostanlyk district. These facilities will generate 18.4 million kilowatt-hours of "green" energy annually and provide electricity to 7,600 households.

Shavkat Mirziyoev expressed gratitude to foreign companies investing in the country and wished them success in their endeavors.

With the press of a symbolic button, the construction and operation of nine projects, totaling US$2 billion, were officially launched.