02.08.2021

On August 2 President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with the presentation of the project for the modernization of the heat supply system in Tashkent.

The heat supply ensures comfortable living of the population and productive work of enterprises and organizations. The consistent work is underway to improve this system in our country. In particular, in cooperation with the World Bank, district heat supply networks are being reconstructed in Andijan, Bukhara, Samarkand and Chirchik. Starting this year, the heat supply systems for multi-apartment housing in Nukus, Andijan, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Karshi, Navoi, Namangan, Samarkand, Termez, Gulistan, Urgench, Ferghana, Chirchik and Angren are transferred to managing service companies.

Tashkent is country’s largest city both in terms of population and the coverage of heat supply networks. Here, 9,165 multi-storey buildings and 3,475 social facilities are connected to central heating. However, 72% of the main and distribution circuits, all central and 90% of local boiler houses are the timeworn.

This leads to higher costs and lower quality of service. For example, last year heat energy losses reached 44%, which equals to 630 billion Uzbek soums. 460 million cubic meters of natural gas, 55 million cubic meters of drinking water and 154 million kilowatts of electricity were outspent.

As a result, the state unitary enterprise «Toshissiqquvvati» has high accounts payable. The low quality of heat supply causes serious complaints from the population.

In this regard, on December 2, 2019, the President adopted a Decree «On measures to further improve the heat supply system of the city of Tashkent», which defines the tasks of introducing market principles and mechanisms of public-private partnership into the system.

Earlier, the khokimiyat (mayor’s office) of Tashkent prepared the concept of the project and announced a tender for proposals for its implementation. According to the decision of the Asian Development Bank, the project of a French company Veolia, which has experience in managing heat supply systems in the cities of Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania and Germany, was recognized as the most effective.

The agreement signing ceremony on public-private partnership between the capital’s khokimiyat and this company is expected soon.

The project will receive 315 million euros of Veolia’s own funds and 1 billion 80 million euros of revenues during the project implementation.

It is planned to modernize 181 boiler houses, install 28 thousand heat points, reconstruct 841 kilometers of existing networks and lay 576 kilometers of new networks. In addition, 391 units of special equipment and other facilities will be purchased. The international system of technical audit and billing is planned to be introduced.

The task first of all, to develop a methodology for the provision of heat supply services on the basis of public-private partnerships was set at the presentation.

The President has noted the need to introduce the proposed project on a pilot basis in one of the blocks of Tashkent, evaluate its effectiveness and, based on the results, make a comprehensively deliberate decision.

Before transferring to the management of a foreign company, it is planned to make an inventory of the property and buildings of «Toshissiqquvvati» State Unitary Enterprise, a technical and energy audit of the heat supply systems of apartment buildings.

It was instructed to create a Heat Supply System Development Fund. An amount exceeding 10% of the net profit received under the project will be transferred to this fund.

The need to purchase a special equipment, facilities and materials at the most reasonable prices was indicated by holding an open tender in accordance with the legislation on public procurement.

The importance of organizing training courses for local specialists together with Veolia company was emphasized.