The first 500 kV digital substation is being built in the Tashkent region

Construction has begun on a new 500-kilovolt “Ring” substation in the Kuyichirchik district of Tashkent region. It will be the first facility in the country where control and monitoring are carried out using digital technologies, which is expected to increase grid reliability and reduce energy losses.

The project is being implemented by JSC “National Electric GrId of Uzbekistan” with financial support from the World Bank amounting to $380 million. It is part of the “Electric Power Sector Transformation and Resilient Power Transmission” program. The program aims to ensure stable electricity supply and support the transition to green energy. It предусматривает modernization of key nodes of the power system, construction of new transmission lines, and the upgrading of 22 substations.

According to officials, annual electricity demand in the country is growing by 5–6%, and by 2050 demand could triple. By 2030, the share of renewable energy sources is planned to reach 54%. However, the existing grid is not yet designed to handle such volumes of generation—especially from renewables—which leads to losses and outages.

The “Ring” substation will become one of the program’s key infrastructure projects. As part of the project, new 220 kV and 500 kV overhead transmission lines will be built, enabling more efficient long-distance power transmission. The substation will receive electricity from power plants in Syrdarya region and wind farms in the southwestern regions, helping ensure more stable power supply to Tashkent and Syrdarya region, where about 6 million people live.