On November 7, the 500 kV Khalka high-voltage substation with a capacity of 1,602 MVA was commissioned in Uzbekistan. The facility is designed to increase the reliability of power supply to Tashkent and part of the Tashkent Region, as well as to redistribute the load between existing power grids. In terms of scale, this is one of the country’s largest high-voltage infrastructure projects.

The launch of the substation is expected to reduce the load on the Tashkent Thermal Power Plant and phase out the use of fuel oil. This should not only increase the efficiency of the power system, but also cut pollutant emissions into the atmosphere. The cost of the project, implemented with the involvement of the World Bank, amounted to $171.4 million.

In addition to the substation, 213 km of 220 kV overhead power transmission lines and another 72 km of 500 kV lines were constructed as part of the project. Thus, the total length of the new high-voltage infrastructure reached 285 km. It will expand power transmission capabilities between regions and help meet growing demand. Final work is currently underway to integrate all the new facilities into the unified power system of Uzbekistan.