Photo: Li Ao / XINHUA / Xinhua via AFP
Eurasia
22/09/2025 09:00
Today, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient projects are no longer just a fashionable trend but a factor of global competitiveness. Uzbekistan, once regarded as a country with a resource-based energy system and limited opportunities for the adoption of modern technologies, is now becoming a hub for “green” investment and innovation. A strategic partnership with the United States plays a special role in this process, encompassing key areas ranging from energy and ecology to finance, education, and culture. Clean and innovative projects are becoming the hallmark of Uzbek-American relations, shaping a new model of cooperation in the 21st century.
Green Energy and Strategic Partnership
Uzbekistan is moving confidently toward a “green” future. While in 2018 renewable energy sources accounted for less than one percent of electricity generation, from January to July 2025 renewables already provided 20.3% of the country’s total electricity. More than 11 billion kWh of “green” energy were produced, including 6.4 billion kWh from solar power plants and 3.6 billion kWh from wind farms. This volume saved 3.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas and prevented over 2.2 million tons of harmful emissions. Every day, renewables now generate about 26.7 million kWh – enough to cover the needs of 7.28 million households for half a year, or 3.64 million homes for an entire year. Currently, 10 solar and 4 wind plants with a combined capacity of more than 4.5 GW operate across 10 regions of the country.
A key focus of Uzbek-American cooperation has become “green” energy. In 2025, Allied Green Ammonia (AGA), together with the U.S. company Plug Power, announced a major project for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, green diesel, and urea. The plan includes the supply of electrolyzers with a capacity of up to 2 GW for the future complex. A final investment decision is expected by the end of 2025, and the project has already been recognized as one of the flagship initiatives for Central Asia.
Air Products – A Flagship of American Presence
Air Products, a global leader in industrial gases and hydrogen energy, occupies a special place in Uzbek-American cooperation. In Kashkadarya region, the company participates in a large-scale gas-to-liquids (GTL) project worth around USD 1 billion. The complex is designed to produce about 1.5 million tons of synthetic fuels per year, including diesel, jet kerosene, and naphtha. Its structure includes air separation units, autothermal reformers, and hydrogen production facilities. This project has become a landmark example of how U.S. technologies are transforming Uzbekistan’s energy sector.
In addition to GTL, Air Products is actively developing industrial gas production in Uzbekistan. The company participates in oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen production projects, introduces the latest PSA units, as well as freezing and storage technologies that reduce food losses and enhance economic resilience. Furthermore, the company has implemented a “green financing” system that links investments to sustainability principles. These projects not only strengthen the country’s industrial potential but also pave the way for positioning Uzbekistan as a regional hub for “green” energy.
The company’s future plans are equally ambitious: production of aviation fuel, CO₂ capture and storage, and coal gasification. Investment volumes exceed several billion dollars, including the construction of a methanol plant with an annual capacity of 1.34 million tons in Bukhara. This transforms Uzbekistan into a future center of high-tech energy in Central Asia, while Air Products becomes a symbol of Uzbek-American partnership.
Investments and Finance
The environmental agenda is closely linked to finance. The Uzbekistan National Investment Fund (UzNIF), with assets worth USD 1.7 billion, has been entrusted to the management of the U.S. company Franklin Templeton. For the first time in the country’s history, the fund is preparing for an international listing – a symbol of trust in American financial institutions and a new resource for investment in “green” projects.
Agriculture and Ecology: New Horizons of Partnership
Agriculture is one of the key areas of Uzbek-American partnership, and a striking example is the Silverleafe Agrocluster in Jizzakh region. This project has become a symbol of the modernization of the country’s agro-industrial complex. U.S. investments have enabled the introduction of precision farming technologies, modern irrigation systems, and innovative John Deere equipment, taking cotton and related crop production to a qualitatively new level.
The cluster has become a model for the transition from outdated practices to a modern agribusiness management system. It applies a track & trace system, allowing products to be monitored from the field to the consumer, significantly increasing transparency and trust in international markets. The adoption of international quality standards and certification has opened access to new export markets and reduced dependence on outdated farming methods.
The project is closely connected with the Agribusiness Development Activity (ADA) and Agricultural Value Chains (AVC) programs. These help farmers expand fruit and vegetable exports, implement quality standards and certifications, and develop greenhouse complexes and intensive orchards. A major result has been a reduction in post-harvest losses and an increase in farm profitability. Thus, the Silverleafe Agrocluster has not only become a catalyst for technological transformation in agriculture but also demonstrated that U.S. investments can deliver tangible effects in sustainable development and the “green” economy.
An equally important area of Uzbek-American cooperation is ecology and waste recycling. A vivid example is the activity of the U.S. company Sayar LLC, which is implementing a large-scale project for medical waste utilization with subsequent thermal energy generation.
Launched in 2024, the project already covers Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara in its first stage, processing up to 6,000 tons of medical waste annually. The generated energy is used to supply hospitals with heating, hot water, and equipment operation. This increases the energy efficiency of social infrastructure while ensuring safe disposal of hazardous waste.
Future plans are even more ambitious: by 2030, recycling capacity will be expanded to 90,000 tons per year, with thermal energy generation reaching 300 GWh annually. The company’s total investment in the project is estimated at around USD 115 million.
The initiative is unique in that it combines environmental and social dimensions: waste recycling reduces the environmental burden and prevents the spread of infections, while the generated energy provides medical institutions with affordable and eco-friendly resources. Thus, Sayar LLC has become one of the first U.S. companies to demonstrate that waste recycling in Uzbekistan can be not only environmentally justified but also economically viable.
Social Initiatives
The All Children Succeeding (ACS) project, worth USD 25 million, is aimed at developing inclusive primary education. Healthcare programs include tuberculosis prevention and the One Health initiative, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health. These projects are directly linked to sustainable development, as education and public health form the foundation for introducing innovative “green” initiatives.
Education and Entrepreneurship
The Fulbright and FLEX programs, research initiatives, as well as Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) projects, help prepare a new generation of specialists capable of meeting the challenges of the “green” economy.
January 2025 marked an important milestone for fintech development: the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent and OSON Holding (Brio Group) signed a memorandum to launch the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE). Funding has been allocated to train 25 women entrepreneurs at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. The program covers regions across the country, supporting small and medium-sized businesses in energy, science, and technology. This is already the embassy’s second public-private partnership initiative: in 2024, a memorandum with Air Products was signed to establish a Makerspace in Karshi.
Political and Economic Dialogue
In September 2025, the leaders of Uzbekistan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to expand the strategic partnership in critical areas – from energy and infrastructure to digitalization and education. Clean investments and innovative projects remain at the heart of this agenda, underscoring that the future of relations is built on the principles of sustainable development.
Conclusion: A Green Future as the Foundation of Strategic Partnership
Uzbekistan and the United States demonstrate that cooperation can cover diverse fields – from “green” energy and industry to education, healthcare, culture, and fintech. Companies such as Air Products, Plug Power, Franklin Templeton, and OSON play a central role in raising bilateral relations to a global level. Together, they are laying the foundation for a new stage of the Uzbek-American partnership – one based on clean energy, the digital economy, and the technologies of the future.