Russian Lukoil president Vagit Alekperov said that his company intended to develop alternative energy projects in Uzbekistan. During the Soviet era, Uzbekistan was the USSR’s leading center for solar research and in 1965 the Uzbek Academy of Sciences began publishing “Geliotekhnika” ("Applied Solar Energy") quarterly journal, the former Soviet Union's sole scientific publication devoted to solar power, which continues today.

Alekperov told a forum of Lukoil specialists that Lukoil, in partnership with the government of Uzbekistan and the Asian Development Bank are planning to construct Uzbekistan largest solar energy plant, which will have an initial capacity of 100 megawatts, to expanded eventually to 1,000 megawatts, UzDaily.uz news website reported.

Government statistics report that Uzbekistan has more than 300 sunny days a year and the Center for Economic Research of Uzbekistan is promoting the idea that surplus power generated by the facility can be exported to neighboring energy-deficient countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to Uzbek energy analysts, at present the country’s share of renewable energy does not exceed one percent despite Uzbekistan’s renewable energy potential, which they estimate at about 51 billion tons in oil equivalents, with solar energy providing 50.973 billion tons.

By. Joao Peixe, Deputy Editor OilPrice.com