Uzbekistan, Russia planning gas chemical complex in Bukhara

Uzbekistan and Russia are working on a plan to construct a gas chemical complex in the southwestern Uzbek region of Bukhara, according to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Denis Manturov, the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, discussed the investment, it added.

Though Uzbekistan has substantial gas resources, in recent years it has been forced to build up imports of gas to meet demand, particularly during severely cold weather.

A report from Uzbekistan’s national statistics agency released this week highlighted declines in the country’s gas and oil production recorded in early 2024.

January saw a 9.4% y/y decrease in gas extraction, the report said.

Despite the declines in hydrocarbon production, the country saw a slight increase in electricity production in the first month of the year, attributable in part to the gradual shift towards growing solar power capacities, according to government statistics.