US Encourages Private Sector Support in Methane Emissions Reduction Efforts
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — U.S. Ambassador Jonathan Henick hosted an event to celebrate the significant achievements of a joint project between GasGreen Asia LLC, a subsidiary of Climate Compass of Maryland, and Uzbekistan’s national gas distribution company, Khududgaztaminot JSC.
The project, which was launched in March 2023, aims to identify and plug natural gas leaks in Uzbekistan’s onshore gas distribution system, helping the country transition to a green economy and fulfill its obligations under the Global Methane Commitment.
The event was attended by senior representatives of the Uzbek government, Khududgaztaminot JSC, GasGreen Asia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, U.S. diplomats, and local media. The main investor in the project is the Korean company Ecoeye Co., Ltd., which potentially allows it to comply with Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change with Korea.
Ambassador Henick noted, “The United States welcomes Uzbekistan’s commitment to a broad-based transition to a green economy. This project supports Uzbekistan’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Since the project began, more than 50,000 individual methane leaks have been identified, measured, and remediated, reducing emissions by more than seven million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. The project has created more than 200 local jobs, including engineers, data scientists, and project managers who have received intensive training from American technical experts. As a result of the work, Khududgaztaminot has saved tens of millions of dollars by preventing gas losses and made a significant contribution to environmental protection.
The United States has strongly supported Uzbekistan’s decision to join the Global Methane Commitment in 2022, an initiative aimed at reducing methane emissions worldwide. Reducing methane emissions is an important part of Uzbekistan’s efforts to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement on climate change. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, methane accounts for about 30% of global warming and is a growing problem.
Climate Compass, based in Bethesda, Maryland, is a global leader in providing logistics and technical services for greenhouse gas emission reduction projects. With over two decades of experience, the company specializes in finding and fixing methane leaks in natural gas infrastructure through advanced leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs. The company’s experience has played a key role in its success in Uzbekistan.
GasGreen Asia, a wholly owned and operated company of Climate Compass, signed a contract with JSC Khududgaztaminot in March 2023 to implement the LDAR program. The project is fully funded by the future generation and sale of carbon credits resulting from the project.