Over time, the country's gas transportation infrastructure deteriorated due to insufficient investments in maintenance and repairs. This leads to gas leaks and financial losses. According to experts, without the necessary work by 2030, losses could reach 1.75 billion cubic meters of gas, which is equivalent to about 228 million dollars in lost revenue.
The World Bank's Regional Director for Central Asia, Naji Benhasin, noted that improving the efficiency of the gas transportation system would reduce gas losses and provide more affordable energy for the public and businesses.
The project "Creation of a mechanism for eliminating gas leaks in Uzbekistan" will be funded by the World Bank's Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) trust fund. It is aimed at detecting and eliminating leaks in the gas transmission networks operated by the state-owned company Uztransgaz.
As part of the project, it is planned that by 2029, the leakage of about 47.5 thousand metric tons of gas will be prevented annually. This will provide additional resource savings and financial benefits of approximately $18 million per year.
Zubin Bamji, Head of the GFMR program, stressed that eliminating leaks in the gas infrastructure would not only increase government revenues and increase energy security, but would also reduce harmful emissions and create additional jobs.
The project funds will be used to purchase modern equipment, train Uztransgaz specialists, and implement international standards for measuring and reporting methane emissions, the main component of natural gas.
