Uzbekistan has produced 70.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) electricity in 2021, increasing by 6.1 percent compared to a year earlier, the State Statistics Committee said.

Uzbekistan has been facing growing demand for electricity in recent years, especially in the winter season. The Energy Ministry said last year that it planned to deliver 12.5 percent more electricity to customers than in 2020.

The ministry in November last year said the country’s hydropower plants had reduced electricity generation by about 23 percent due to water shortages.