What are Russian plans to deliver gas to China through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan?

Kazakh Minister of Energy has revealed that his country will be ready to provide infrastructure to transport Russian gas to Uzbekistan during autumn and spring 2024, once Tashkent and Moscow conclude negotiations on size and price.

In recent winters, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have faced energy crises, compressed between high domestic demand and current contracts with China, exacerbated by the ageing of infrastructure in some cases, according to the diplomat.

Last January, the Russian Gazprom company signed road maps for cooperation with the Kazakh and Uzbek governments, following which Uzbekistan said it would begin importing Russian gas on March 1.

In February 2023, Uzbek Energy Minister Zurabek Mirzamudov and his Kazakh counterpart Bolat Aksholakov (appointed presidential adviser in April) met with Gazprom President Alexei Miller in Saint Petersburg and discussed the “possibilities” of a tripartite gas arrangement.

The media revealed that during the meeting, officials were considering directing gas through the Central Asian Pipeline (CAC) (which runs from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Russia) and the Ural steam pipeline, which runs from Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan to Russia.

A source told Uzbek media that in order to supply natural gas from Russia to Central Asian countries via the CAC pipeline, large investments and new pressure stations would be needed to allow the flow to reverseAt the end of February 2023, Kazakhstan announced plans to start work on a third line of the Bukhara and Ural natural gas pipeline, costing $95.6 million.

Early last March, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy was likely not to start acquiring Russian gas, as no specific and binding agreement was reached. A few days ago, Mirzamudov said it would be ‘practically impossible’ to do so.

Last April, Uzbekistan appeared to be leaning towards the CAC route. Officials said that the Bukhara and Ural pipeline was inappropriate because of its’ deterioration ‘. Kazakhstan’s plans for the third line may be restarted as a route, but not necessarily in the near future.

It also became clear that Russia’s interest was not much in supplying Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan but in reaching China.