Oybek Rikhsiboev of the Ministry of Energy and Bahramjan Rasakhadjayev of the National Research Institute of Renewable Energy Sources under the Ministry of Energy posted a critical review of Uzbekistan’s geothermal potential on SSRN on 29 April 2026.
The paper assesses which regions suit direct heat use, industrial use and greenhouse heating. It names the Ustyurt and Karakalpakstan regions as priority geothermal development zones, and points to existing oil and gas wells as possible opportunities for geothermal reuse.
It identifies barriers including drilling risk, data gaps, financing constraints and regulatory gaps. The paper is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed.
