Uzbekistan is moving aggressively to transform its waste management landscape into a fully-fledged manufacturing sector. Six state-of-the-art waste-to-energy plants are planned across the country’s key industrial regions, representing a major infrastructure play that combines Chinese investment with participation from the UAE and South Korea. This ambitious initiative, backed by USD 933 million in foreign capital, aims to process 3.6 million tons of solid waste annually while generating 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity — turning what has historically been a disposal burden into an energy resource.
The projects span six regions of Uzbekistan: Tashkent, Andijan, Namangan, Fergana, Samarkand, and Kashkadarya. Beyond raw construction, Uzbekistan is simultaneously building out the supporting infrastructure needed for a functioning circular economy — including transshipment stations, specialized collection equipment, and comprehensive landfill management programs. For international investors and manufacturers eyeing entry into Central Asia’s growing industrial markets, this represents a significant shift in how the region is approaching infrastructure development and environmental compliance.
Multi-country investment backing six industrial-scale facilities
Chinese companies are taking the lead role in this transformation. CAMC Engineering has committed USD 350 million to construct two major processing facilities in Andijan and the Tashkent region, capable of handling 4,000 tons of waste daily and producing 630 million kilowatt-hours annually. Shanghai SUS Environment, another Chinese firm, is already actively building a plant in Samarkand under an investment agreement signed in March 2025, with additional facilities planned across other regions. The investment agreements also include contracts with Uzbekistan’s waste management agency for waste supply and contracts with the national energy company for electricity purchase — creating a comprehensive ecosystem for waste-to-energy operations.
Complementing the Chinese involvement, the UAE’s Tadweer Group is investing USD 200 million in a facility serving Bukhara and Navoi regions, with capacity for 1,500 tons of daily waste processing and 363 million kilowatt-hours of annual electricity generation. South Korea’s Sejin is contributing USD 55 million toward a landfill gas-to-energy project in Tashkent region with a planned output of 16 megawatts. Each facility will be positioned within dedicated industrial zones specifically zoned for waste utilization and recycling operations.
The investment distribution reveals considerable capital commitment per facility: Tashkent region receives USD 240 million in funding for processing 2,500 tons daily; Andijan receives USD 110 million; Kashkadarya and Samarkand each receive USD 150 million; Namangan and Fergana each secure USD 141.5 million. These plants are engineered to generate electricity that will be purchased by Uzbekistan’s national energy distribution company, creating a stable revenue stream for operators and addressing the country’s electricity supply challenges simultaneously.
Samarkand project already under construction
The Samarkand facility, operated by Shanghai SUS Environment, has already moved from planning into active construction. The foundation stone was laid in July 2025, with commercial operation targeted for early 2027. This plant is designed to process 1,500 tons of waste daily and produce 240 million kilowatt-hours annually — enough to supply electricity to approximately 70 percent of Samarkand city’s population and 27 percent of the Pastdargam district. The facility occupies 15 hectares of the city’s 100-hectare central landfill site, demonstrating how waste management infrastructure can be integrated into existing waste disposal areas rather than requiring entirely new land development.
Beyond the standard waste-to-energy plants, Uzbekistan is also developing a first-of-its-kind regional project specifically for hazardous waste management. This integrated platform, planned for Navoi region with a USD 260 million investment, will operate as the first comprehensive hazardous waste treatment facility in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The facility will combine laboratory classification of hazardous materials, physico-chemical treatment, thermal processing, a specialized landfill, and production of refuse-derived fuel from waste streams. Designed to process 330,000 tons of hazardous waste annually, it represents a different tier of waste-to-energy ambition — one focused on industrial waste streams rather than residential solid waste.
Broader waste management infrastructure overhaul
These manufacturing plants exist within a larger infrastructure modernization program. Uzbekistan has committed to building 28 new waste transshipment stations by the end of 2026, expanding to 70 stations by 2030. These facilities reduce transportation costs and logistics burdens by consolidating waste from collection points into larger regional hubs before shipment to processing facilities. According to a deputy director of Uzbekistan’s Waste Management and Circular Economy Development Agency, “The creation of 28 transshipment stations will reduce operating expenses for sanitation enterprises and shorten the distance from the point of waste generation to its final placement. Economic efficiency will increase significantly.”
In parallel, the government is supplying specialized collection equipment and infrastructure. By the end of 2026, sanitation enterprises will receive 300 additional units of specialized collection machinery, 80 motorized collection vehicles, and 600 waste containers. The country aims to increase waste service coverage from 88 percent of communities in 2025 to 90 percent in 2026, with additional landfill reclamation work planned for 18 sites.
Long-term ambitions extend further: by 2030, Uzbekistan plans to reduce the total number of operational landfills by 50 percent nationwide. This consolidation will force reliance on the new waste-to-energy manufacturing plants and hazardous waste treatment facilities, creating stable, guaranteed feedstock for these industrial operations.
Implications for international business
For international manufacturers, construction firms, and equipment suppliers, Uzbekistan’s waste-to-energy transformation signals a rapidly evolving market with significant procurement opportunities. The construction of industrial facilities on this scale — coupled with ongoing infrastructure development for transshipment stations, specialized equipment, and energy generation infrastructure — creates sustained demand for engineering services, machinery, automation systems, and industrial components. The multi-year implementation timeline through 2030 suggests long-term market opportunities rather than one-off projects.
Additionally, the integration of international investors from China, the UAE, and South Korea demonstrates that Uzbekistan is serious about private sector participation and foreign capital deployment in infrastructure sectors. The standardized investment agreements, energy purchase contracts, and waste supply arrangements provide clear operational frameworks that reduce perceived risk for new market entrants. Companies specializing in waste management technology, energy infrastructure, automation, and industrial construction now have clear regulatory pathways and government commitments to support their expansion into Central Asian markets where similar circular economy initiatives are likely to follow.
