The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan has approved a comprehensive resolution aimed at preventing accidents at fuel stations and eliminating hazards that threaten public safety. The resolution has been published in the national legal database Lex.uz.
The new rules follow a nationwide inspection of fuel facilities. Throughout 2025, inter-agency working groups inspected 6,196 fuel distribution sites across Uzbekistan, covering conventional gasoline stations, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations, and retail points specifically for refilling household gas cylinders.
The inspections identified a total of 46,737 violations and deficiencies. More than half of these—25,300 cases—were directly related to industrial and technical safety. In addition, inspectors noted 7,949 fire-safety violations, 7,875 process violations, 3,354 environmental violations, and 2,218 construction-compliance issues.
While 7,166 minor deficiencies were corrected on-site, some violations were serious enough to result in 464 stations being temporarily ordered to suspend operations for rectification.
To address these systemic problems, the government has drawn up an updated list of minimum requirements covering fire, industrial, technical, and environmental safety standards. The Ministry of Emergency Situations, Uzenergoinspektsiya, the Industrial Safety Committee, and the Ecology Committee will be responsible for monitoring compliance.
Under the new rules, from September 1, the use of pressure equipment that has exceeded its service life or whose production date cannot be verified will be prohibited. This restriction will remain in effect until the beginning of 2030. At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Digital Technologies have been instructed to integrate technical inspection data for gas cylinders recorded on the Eco-Himoya platform into the U-Gas natural gas sales accounting system. Through this data integration, station operators can instantly verify the safety status of vehicle gas cylinder equipment before refueling.
Use of the U-Gas system is now mandatory for all CNG filling stations. Currently, 1,553 facilities are registered in the system, of which 1,459 are fully connected.
In addition, from September 1, the installation of tanks that combine fuel storage and distribution equipment at close range will be strictly restricted. Only factory-built modular stations certified to meet national industrial safety standards will be allowed. Gas dispensing equipment must be placed at a safe distance on a stable foundation and equipped with fire barriers, double-walled tanks, and automatic emergency shutoff systems. Relevant agencies must develop procedures by December 1 for replacing above-ground LPG tanks at hazardous locations with double-walled tanks or relocating them entirely underground.
By September 1, relevant agencies must also complete a comprehensive registry of fuel stations that violate safety, urban planning, or environmental regulations and endanger public health. The ultimate goal is to develop a phased plan to relocate these high-risk facilities to designated safe areas. As an exception, relocated CNG filling stations will receive technical permits to connect to the gas distribution network at their new locations.
During the relocation process, the lawful land rights of business owners will be preserved. At the same time, local governments and relevant agencies must ensure that no land within the protective buffer zone of fuel stations is allocated for construction projects unrelated to fueling operations.
Source: Kun.uz