Kazakhstan needs to modernize gas transit system to boost supplies from Russia to Uzbekistan

Kazakhstan stands to benefit from Russia's proposal to increase gas supplies to Uzbekistan through Kazakh territory. However, this requires an upgrade to Kazakhstan's gas transportation infrastructure, as noted by Almasadam Satkaliev, the Kazakh Minister of Energy.

"Currently, the plan is to transit 3.8 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Uzbekistan. To boost this volume to 11 billion cubic meters, the gas transportation system needs modernization. The company 'KazaqGaz' is prepared to invest in these upgrades," Satkaliev stated in response to a query from TASS regarding Russia's plan to increase gas transit to Uzbekistan to 11 billion cubic meters.

Satkaliev highlighted the dual benefits for Kazakhstan: revenue from transit fees and ensuring a balanced supply for Kazakh consumers.

"As a standard practice, we ensure that Kazakh consumers receive a proportional amount of gas," he added.

On May 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, following discussions with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, efforts are underway to enhance the capacity of the "Central Asia-Center" pipeline system. This expansion aims to increase gas deliveries to Uzbekistan to 11 billion cubic meters by next year.

Previously, on October 7, 2023, Presidents Putin, Mirziyoyev, and Kazakh President Kasim-Jomart Tokayev inaugurated the transit of Russian natural gas through Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan via the Central Asia-Center gas pipeline.

Earlier agreements saw the Kazakh Ministry of Energy increase the annual volume of Russian gas transported to Uzbekistan from 1.28 billion cubic meters in 2023 to 3.8 billion cubic meters in 2024. This is part of a strategic cooperation agreement between Gazprom OJSC and the Kazakh government.