TYM signs MOU with Uzbekistan's Agriculture Ministry for CNG tractor pilot

South Korean tractor maker TYM will conduct field trials of its compressed natural gas (CNG) tractor in Uzbekistan in partnership with the country's Ministry of Agriculture. The move follows the joint development of a locally tailored CNG tractor with the Uzbek government in 2024 and marks a step toward establishing a formal cooperation framework and verifying the model's commercial viability.

TYM announced Wednesday that it signed an MOU with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture at the Korea-Uzbekistan Business Forum, held Tuesday at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul. TYM Chairman Kim Hee-yong attended the forum.

Under the MOU, the two sides will conduct a pilot test of the T6092 CNG tractor at agricultural sites in Uzbekistan through the end of 2028. They plan to verify the model's performance, fuel efficiency, carbon reduction and farm productivity, and to roll out tractor demonstrations and supply in stages. Cooperation with local research institutes is also under review.

Based on the pilot results, the two sides will work out market-entry strategies and financial and institutional support measures. Whether to proceed with commercialization and the scale of supply will be determined through a separate contract.

The T6092 is a model TYM developed in cooperation with the Uzbek government and unveiled in 2024. It features a 92-horsepower engine and a bi-fuel system running on both CNG and gasoline — gasoline for road driving and CNG for farm work. TYM met with an Uzbek delegation in November 2024 to discuss commercialization of the T6092, at which point the company said it planned to begin local distribution in 2025. The new MOU sets out a revised schedule under which commercialization options will be reviewed separately after field trials are completed by the end of 2028.

TYM estimates that CNG tractors could cut fuel costs by more than 50 percent compared with diesel tractors, which are widely used in Uzbekistan. The actual savings will be verified during the local pilot test, taking into account fuel prices and operating conditions.

The Uzbek government has also been pushing to convert its agricultural machinery to CNG. Last year, it announced a $10 million project to build a platform for eco-friendly agricultural machinery in Uzbekistan, undertaken with partners including the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. Key components include establishing a CNG-based agricultural machinery research and development center and converting existing farm equipment. A visit to TYM was included in a training program for local officials held in South Korea at the time.

The MOU was signed on the sidelines of the bilateral business forum held during Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit to South Korea. Mirziyoyev visited South Korea from Sunday through Wednesday for a state visit focused on expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.

"This MOU is significant in that it establishes a systematic framework with Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture to verify local acceptance of the T6092 CNG tractor and lays the groundwork for cooperation on agricultural mechanization and the transition to eco-friendly farming," said Kim Ho-gyeom, head of TYM's global business division. "We will expand cooperation step by step through a successful pilot to contribute to the modernization of Uzbekistan's agriculture and ultimately move toward commercialization."