Electricity demand in Central Asia will rise by 27% by 2030, according to Arman Akhunbayev, head of the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Centre for Sector Analysis.
He said industrial growth, the construction of new enterprises, urban expansion and the digitalization of the economy are driving up electricity consumption.
“By 2030, electricity demand in the region will grow by 27%, or more than a quarter. To keep energy shortages from becoming a barrier to the economy, capacity and grids for new factories and expanding cities must be prepared now,” Akhunbayev said.
The EDB warns that building new power plants alone is not enough. Modernizing transmission networks, developing energy storage systems and creating reserve capacity are also needed at the same time. The growth of renewable energy sources will also place additional strain on power systems.
Central Asian countries plan to build solar and wind power plants with a combined capacity of more than 35 gigawatts by 2035. Experts warn that if power grids are not modernized and energy systems do not operate in coordination, rising consumption will increase the risk of shortages.
