Uzbekistan's Renewable Push Fails to Offset Gas Decline Amid Imports Surge

Uzbekistan is facing a widening energy gap as its natural gas production declines. The country's output peaked in 2008, and after a partial recovery in the late 2010s, has fallen sharply to 41.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024 from 61.6 bcm in 2018.

The decline is already being filled by imports from Russia and Turkmenistan, with Russian gas deliveries rising 15% in 2025 to nearly 6.5 bcm. Uzbekistan's government has responded to the crisis by rapidly building out its renewable energy capacity, with solar and wind plants generating more than 10.5 billion kWh of electricity in 2025.

The Ministry of Energy said that this saved about 3.2 bcm of natural gas, equivalent to roughly half the volume Russia supplied during the year. However, the green transition is not yet moving fast enough to offset the decline in domestic output.