In Uzbekistan, efforts are ongoing to address the aftermath of the emergency shutdown on the high-voltage power lines 110 kV "L-Gazli-1" and "L-Gazli-2" in the Bukhara region on February 17, caused by strong winds and snowfall. During the incident, 8 gas pumping units at the "Gazli" compressor station and 2 units at the "Uchkir" station of the Gazli gas processing plant were disconnected. The Ministry of Energy spokesperson, Hasan Toshkhujaev, provided this update during a briefing on Monday.
As a result of the accident, temporary restrictions were imposed on the operation of gas stations. Plans were announced to increase gasoline supplies to fuel stations. Starting from February 22, restrictions on gas station operations have been gradually lifted, but some limitations remain in place.
According to the Ministry of Energy, the number of operational gas stations decreased by almost half on Sunday compared to Thursday. Out of 1517 stations, only 280 were operational on March 3, whereas the number was 550 on Thursday. Gas sales through stations decreased by 30.6%, reaching the lowest point since February 20.
Sales of liquefied gas dropped by 45% compared to February 29, totaling 390 thousand tons. The Ministry of Energy has not disclosed the list of operational gas stations or their working schedules.
While the Ministry assured that the population and economic sectors are adequately supplied with gasoline and diesel fuel, long queues are still observed at fuel stations, especially in the morning when AI-80 gasoline is available.
Additional gasoline deliveries were made to fuel stations on Sunday, totaling 1165 tons. However, the overall volume was not specified. On Thursday, total deliveries amounted to 4313 tons.
In terms of electricity supply, Uzbekistan produced 237.1 million kWh on March 3, a decrease of 1.2 million kWh compared to February 29, marking the lowest output since the Ministry started daily reports on February 19. Thermal power plants consumed 42.3 million cubic meters of natural gas, 20.4 thousand tons of coal, and 10.8 thousand tons of mazut in a day.
The import of electricity from Turkmenistan decreased from 22.3 million to 20.9 million kWh, representing 9.2% of total consumption (227.5 million kWh). Restrictions on electricity supply up to 960 MW were enforced during peak hours, the highest level since February 18. Similar limitations are expected on March 4.
Despite low pressure, gas consumption on March 3 was high, reaching 148.5 million cubic meters, 11% above the planned amount. However, compared to Thursday and Wednesday, consumption decreased (150.8 and 154.7 million cubic meters, respectively).
