At the memorandum signing ceremony. Photo: Press Service of Issiqlikta’minot
The French Development Agency, in partnership with the Uzbek state-owned company Issiqlikta’minoti, will launch a major project to upgrade the district heating system in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Region. The total cost of the initiative amounts to $39.9 million, the company’s press service announced on its Telegram channel.
The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on July 10. The document outlines plans to modernize the heating infrastructure in the Kirguli residential area — a suburb of the regional capital located near the Fergana thermal power plant. The project is scheduled for implementation between 2027 and 2029.
According to Issiqlikta’minot, the plan includes the renovation of 76 kilometers of heating pipelines and the installation of 380 individual heating units across the area.
The upgrade will provide centralized heating for 317 apartment buildings, comprising 16,617 residential units, as well as 41 public-sector facilities.
The heating system overhaul in Kirguli, backed by international financial institutions, is part of a presidential decree issued by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on March 11, 2025. The document outlines a nationwide strategy to complete 13 heating system modernization projects by 2030, with a combined value of $325 million. Notably, five of these projects are located in Fergana Region — more than in any other part of the country.
France has previously worked with Uzbekistan in the utilities sector. In 2021, it was reported that Veolia Central & Eastern Europe was granted a 30-year contract to manage Tashkent’s heating system. The company committed to a large-scale modernization of boilers and related infrastructure, including the installation of new pipelines. At the time, it was stated that Veolia would invest €315 million of its own funds, with an additional €1.08 billion expected to come from revenues generated in Uzbekistan over the course of the project.
