Afrasiyab is the oldest part of the ancient and medieval city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. (Credit: Flickr @ Peretz Partensky http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifl/)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan totaling $110 million for a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Counterpart financing of $200 million is being extended by Uzbekistan’s Fund for Reconstruction and Development and by Uzbekenergo. The project is expected to run for about five years with an estimated completion date of March 2019.
“This project will be the largest of its kind in Central Asia and one of the largest in the world,” ADB President Takehiko Nakao said during the 6th meeting of the Asia Solar Energy Forum in Tashkent. “Uzbekistan has a large land mass, plenty of sunshine, and the highly skilled and educated human resources needed to become a major player in solar energy development in this region.”
The Samarkand Solar Power Project will help Uzbekistan—one of the most energy and carbon intensive countries in the world—tackle power outages, diversify its energy sources, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly 90% of the country’s power is currently generated from fossil fuel-based plants and require major investments to replace or upgrade. The aging power network also suffers from high losses and the supply-demand gap has become acute in some areas including Samarkand.
This investment in the development of solar energy in Uzbekistan will help the will help the country’s government expand the use of renewable energy in its power mix. The government is aiming to generate about 21% of all its energy needs from renewable sources, including solar, by 2031.
The project will provide training and other support to Uzbekenergo, the state joint stock company, to raise its capacity to manage the plant and other solar facilities. Capacity building support will also be given to stakeholders, including the International Solar Energy Institute. The institute will help Uzbekistan achieve its aim of becoming the region’s solar energy knowledge and technology hub.
