In October 2023, the China Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute (EPPEI) started the planning and research on the national power system in Uzbekistan at the request of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan. EPPEI will establish a joint working group with the Ministry of Energy and National Electric Grids of Uzbekistan, so as to conduct systematic analysis, planning and research on the national power sources and electric grids in Uzbekistan. Key topics include improving the power generation structure, upgrading the grid to accommodate a high proportion of renewable energy, planning for diversified energy storage, and working on the adaptability of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology. The aim is to provide professional recommendations in such fields as technology, policies, and standards, thus supporting the transformation of the power system in Uzbekistan.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has set ambitious goals for renewable energy in order to ensure security of electricity supply and advance energy transition. The country plans to increase its current installed capacity of renewable energy from approximately 200,000 kilowatts to 12 million kilowatts by 2030, making it one of the most promising regions for renewable energy development in Central Asia and even the world at large. However, the boom of renewable energy projects will pose a severe challenge to Uzbekistan's power system. In response, the Ministry of Energy seeks to draw from China’s experience in large-scale new energy systems for the development of its power system.

As a national-level professional consulting organization and China’s pacesetter in power planning, EPPEI has completed major tasks outlined in China’s 13th and 14th Five-Year Plans for energy and power development. EPPEI has also engaged in key policy research on energy and power system reforms at both national and local levels, undertaken supportive tasks for energy and power regulation, and carried out systematic projects in the industry. These efforts have underpinned the transformation of China's energy and power systems, as well as the development of its new energy. In bringing high-end consulting services to the world, EPPEI has continuously enhanced its consulting capabilities by benchmarking international consulting agencies. It has conducted power system planning and energy transformation research for various countries in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, South America, Africa, etc. Together with its considerable experience in China's high proportion of new energy consumption, EPPEI offers feasible roadmaps and policy recommendations for these countries to promote their energy and power transformation.

Since it was proposed ten years ago, the Belt and Road Initiative has has progressed from “sketching the outline” to “filling in the details”. Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and 18 other departments jointly released the Announcement on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Global Design Consultation, which calls for accelerating the "going global" of high-end consultation, improving the quality and efficiency of growth, and supporting the new development paradigm. In this case, EPPEI adheres to win-win cooperation through telling China’s stories and contributing China’s visions. Bearing the demands of Uzbekistan in mind, EPPEI has ensured smooth communication and fully demonstrated China’s experience and strength in power system planning and new energy development, gaining high recognition from the Uzbekistan.

Moving forward, EPPEI will carry out planning and research with high standards, give full play to its technical strength, and formulate reliable and feasible power system transformation plans based on the specific conditions of Uzbekistan. This will give a boost to the green, efficient, safe, and sustainable transformation of the power system in Uzbekistan, and further contribute to high-quality Belt and Road  cooperation.