Over the next five years, Russia's Gazprom company plans to substantially increase the volume of natural gas supplied to Central Asian countries. This was reported by the publication "Vedomosti," citing data from the Economic Forecasting Center of Gazprombank.
According to sources, gas volumes originally intended for the European market but left unsold due to sanctions are being redirected to new destinations. In this context, Central Asia is being considered a key strategic market. Experts estimate potential supply volumes at around 19–20 billion cubic meters annually.
Clarifications suggest that by 2030, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan may see Gazprom’s exports increase by 2.1 to 2.2 times compared to current levels. Uzbekistan is expected to account for the largest growth share, with the country's import volume predicted to rise from 3 billion cubic meters to 12 billion cubic meters.
One primary reason cited is the declining volume of domestic gas production in Uzbekistan, leading to a steadily increasing reliance on external supplies. This trend provides Russia with an opportunity to secure a strong foothold in a new market.
The situation in Kazakhstan, however, remains uncertain. Despite this, Astana is optimistic about implementing a project to transport Russian gas to China via Kazakh territory, despite skepticism expressed by China. This pipeline could allow for the gasification of Kazakhstan's north-eastern regions and ensure the delivery of an additional 10 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
It should be noted that international sanctions have caused Gazprom's gas exports to the European market to decrease almost fivefold. Moreover, even if the "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline becomes fully operational, the company will not be able to redirect all excess volumes entirely to the Chinese market.
As a result, Central Asian countries are expected to become not only a geographically close market for Gazprom but also one of its main energy partners in the coming years. This development may bring the region's energy relations to a new level.
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