The use of mazut led to the release of 15.7 thousand tons of pollutants into the atmosphere within a year
2025-01-20 17:00:00 / News
This proposal was prepared based on the suggestions and comments from the public, environmentalists, social media activists and has been put up for public discussion in the draft of the Presidential Decree of Uzbekistan "On the State Program for the Implementation of the "Uzbekistan-2030" Strategy in the "Year of Environmental Protection and "Green" Economy".
Relevance
In recent years, the air quality in the Republic has sharply deteriorated due to the use of fuel oil at thermal power plants during the autumn-winter period. In particular, 9 sources at 6 branches of the "Tashkent Thermal Power Plant" LLC in Tashkent use fuel oil as a backup fuel. In 2022-2023, mazut consumption at the "Tashkent TPP" increased almost 2.5 times, resulting in the burning of more than 268,600 tons of mazut from 4 (No. 1, 2, 3, 50) priority sources of the plant. As a result, 15,700 tons of pollutants were emitted into the atmosphere in 2023. None of these enterprises have installed dust and gas treatment equipment.
In recent years, the increase in the number of manufacturing enterprises, vehicles, and the use of diesel fuel has caused a significant rise in atmospheric pollution in Tashkent. According to the international platform IQAIR, the capital holds the first position in the ranking of the most polluted cities in the world, causing legitimate concern among the public.
Implementation
According to the proposal, by the end of 2025, the use of mazut will be prohibited at all heat and electricity production enterprises located in all regions of the republic (except in cases of accidents and emergencies, with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers). Also, to reduce air pollution, "Tashkent Thermal Power Plant" LLC will be required to fully equip pollution sources with dust and gas treatment equipment at its own expense.
Furthermore, by the end of this year, the use of mazut in thermal power plants will be strictly prohibited, and measures will be taken to ensure the full provision of thermal power plants with natural gas during the autumn-winter period.
International Experience
The European Union, including Germany and France, has established strict environmental standards for the use of fuel oil in heat production. Additionally, the United States has passed several laws aimed at reducing the use of mazut. Some states offer subsidies and incentives for upgrading heating systems that use oil or replacing them with natural gas.
In China, environmental requirements have been introduced to reduce the use of mazutl in industry and heat production. The government provides financial support programs for the modernization of heating centers that operate on mazut.
Benefits for the Atmosphere
The ban on the use of mazut will reduce the amount of harmful substances emitted into the atmosphere and improve air quality.
The draft of the Presidential Decree has been published on the online portal of the National Strategy "Uzbekistan-2030" for public and expert discussion until January 22. You can actively participate in it and send your suggestions and comments through the online portal uzbekistan2030.uz and the Telegram bot @Ekologiya_yili_bot! The draft is available in Uzbek and Russian.