Green Energy - The Times Of Central Asia

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Donor Coordination Committee Established for Kyrgyzstan’s Kambarata HPP-1 Project

The Kyrgyz Republic International Energy Investment Forum, held in Vienna, on June 10, concluded with the establishment of a Donor Coordination Committee for the construction of Kambarata HPP-1 hydropower plant in Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers said that the doors are open to interested parties but to date, the committee comprises major international financial institutions and development partners, including the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Committee’s first meeting is scheduled for autumn this year. An inter-ministerial agreement on cooperation on the Kambarata HPP-1 project was also signed by the Ministries of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Summarizing the outcome of the forum, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov announced: “We have made significant progress in establishing contacts and a common understanding of further actions. I am confident that the created Donor Coordination Committee will be a continuation of actions to implement the national project — the construction of Kambarata HPP-1.” Japarov told forum participants that “According to experts, by 2050 the population in Central Asia will increase by 27%, the demand for food by 35%, and the consumption of drinking water by 50%. At the same time, water is the main artery of life in the countries of the Central Asian region. Countries located at the sources of large rivers account for 80.7% of the region’s total water flow.” Regarding different countries’ priorities for water usage - downstream Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan use water in irrigation mode in summer, and upstream Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, in energy mode in winter -he warned “This situation affects the energy and food security in the region.” He then provided a more detailed report on the Kambarata HPP-1 project: “Kambarata HPP-1 is located at the source of the glaciers. Effective operation of this power plant will allow the accumulation and rational use of water resources of the Toktogul reservoir. The Kambarata HPP-1 construction project has broad economic, environmental, and social benefits and prospects for both Kyrgyzstan and the Central Asian region. The project will provide the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia with clean energy at the lowest cost, which entails lower costs of the energy transition in the region. Electricity generation at hydroelectric power plants will reduce emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere.” Reiterating the project’s key importance in meeting the growing demand for energy and increasing energy security in the region, Japarov continued: “The power plant will be sited in the upper reaches of the Naryn River. Its installed capacity will be 1,860 megawatts with an average annual generation of 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The preliminary construction estimate is more than $4 billion. The master plan of Kambarata HPP-1 includes a rock-fill dam, a hydroelectric power plant building with four hydraulic units, construction and operational spillways and transport tunnels, a residential village [for personnel], a reservoir and water treatment facilities.” He confirmed...

International Cooperation Tourism Foreign Investment Green Energy

Kyrgyzstan Seeks Investment in Energy

On June 10, The Kyrgyz Republic International Energy Investment Forum, organized by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic with support from the World Bank Group and the Government of Austria, opened in Vienna. In his address to representatives of international financial organizations, delegations from Central Asian, European, and Middle East countries, and private investors, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Japarov emphasized the importance of discussions on the construction of Kambarata HPP-1 not only for Kyrgyzstan but also for the entire Central Asian region. Japarov then presented a paper on “Economic prospects and investment climate in the Kyrgyz Republic,” in which he stated, “In recent years, the economic growth of Kyrgyzstan has broken all records and demonstrated exceptionally sustainable development. The average GDP growth rate was 7%. And in the first quarter of 2024, the rate of economic growth accelerated to 8.8%.” Referencing the country’s “period of revival” in its energy sector, he continued, “Tariffs are being reviewed and better conditions provided in the form of benefits and preferences for investors. The implementation of more than 50 renewable energy projects has begun throughout the country. The state, on its own, has built and recently launched the Bala-Saruu hydroelectric power plant, which will provide electricity to the [country’s north-western] Talas region.” The head of the Cabinet of Ministers called on all international organizations to collaborate in implementing projects in the Kyrgyz energy sector especially the large-scale construction of Kambarata HPP-1 and stressed, “I am deeply convinced that through joint efforts the largest hydroelectric power plant in the region will be built and new horizons for green energy will open in the Central Asian region.” Japarov also touched upon Kyrgyzstan's tourist potential and with regard to winter sports, announced: “We are starting the construction of a Kyrgyz Courchevel. The French company S3V, one of the first operators of the world- famous resort of Courchevel, is implementing the Three Peaks ski cluster in Kyrgyzstan with plans for around 200 km of ski slopes. The resort will operate all year round and able to receive up to 850 thousand tourists annually, will become the largest in Central Asia. In addition, we are launching the construction of a resort near Bishkek with a 20-kilometer funicular, which will operate both winter and summer. In winter, it will provide a unique opportunity to ski within a 20-minute drive from the capital, Bishkek. All technical structures will be built by the Austrian company Doppel Maier.”

Green Energy Foreign Investment solar power Manufacturing Employment Tourism

Construction of Gas Chemical Complex, Solar Plant and Airport begins in Bukhara

On May 31, construction began on three large facilities in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region. Officially launched by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the ambitious development comprises a gas chemical complex, a solar power plant, and an international airport. The gas chemical complex, to be built in the Karakul free economic zone, is the first plant in the country to employ methanol- to- olefins (MTO) technology. The project aims to attract some $5 billion in investments and advanced technologies from the USA, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, and China. Once completed, the complex will process 1.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 430 thousand tons of naphtha per year and manufacture 1.1 million tons of polymer products, in high demand by both domestic and global markets. Two thousand new jobs will be created. The second facility, a 250-megawatt solar power plant to be built by Masdar from the United Arab Emirates, will be connected to the unified energy grid in December 2025. The third initiative is a new international airport which will be much welcomed by the ever-increasing volume of foreign tourists visiting Uzbekistan. In 2023 alone, some 1.4 million tourists flew into Bukhara. Built through private partnership at a cost of $226 million, the airport will have the capacity to process 1.2 thousand passengers per hour. Designed to meet international standards, the airport will both improve the quality of service and help attract more international airlines to Bukhara.

Green Energy Foreign Investment

Chinese Company to Build Solar Power Plant in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Region

China Datang Overseas Investment Co. Ltd is poised to construct a solar photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 263 MW in the Buka district of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The project was approved by a Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan, dated 24 May, 2024. To secure its implementation, the Chinese company aims to attract $150 million in foreign investment and the National Electric Networks of Uzbekistan has guaranteed to purchase electrical energy generated by the new power plant for 25 years. According to the resolution, the main objectives of the new solar plant are to ensure a stable supply of electricity to both the local population and economic sectors, reduce natural gas consumption in electricity generation, and attract foreign investment in expanding the use of renewable energy sources in Uzbekistan.

Green Energy Solar Energy Employment Industry

Korean Company to Build Solar Panel Production Plant in Tajikistan

On 24 May, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon laid the foundation stone for the construction of the first solar panel production plant in the country’s Danghara Free Economic Zone. According to the Tajik president’s press service, the facility will be built in four phases with government support and investment by the Global Solar Wafer company of the Republic of Korea totalling $2 billion. Construction on 22 hectares of land in the western part of Danghara Free Economic Zone is scheduled to begin in July this year. The first phase, comprising a facility to manufacture solar panels with a capacity of 5 thousand megawatts, will be completed in March 2025. Once fully operational, the plant will provide 8,000 jobs, 95 percent will be allocated to Tajik citizens. The launch of the domestic production of solar panels will contribute to the realization of goals set by Tajikistan’s green economy development strategy which aims to generate at least 1000 megawatts of green energy by 2030.

Green Energy Foreign Investment

Uzbekistan to Build Central Asia’s First Solar Plant with Battery Energy Storage System

On 21 May, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) signed off a $46.5 million loan for the construction of greenfield solar power plant and battery energy storage system (BESS) in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region. The Nur Bukhara plant will be Central Asia's first renewable power facility with utility-scale battery storage. ADB reported that a further $26.5 million has been secured from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Loans for the realization of the project have also been agreed by the International Finance Corporation, the Canada–IFC Blended Climate Finance Program and the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank. The new facility, with a capacity to generate 250 megawatts and store 126 megawatt-hours of energy, will include the construction of a 20-kilovolt substation and a 3.1-kilometer transmission line to connect to the grid. Set to deliver 555 gigawatt-hours of clean energy per annum, the plant will provide power for some 55,000 households. By enabling electricity to be stored and delivered on demand, BESS will reduce grid instability, and provide the flexibility to integrate intermittent solar resources. Generated power will be sold exclusively to the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan. Commending the project, Masdar Director of Corporate Finance and Treasury Bruce Johnson commented: "Masdar is proud to be a key partner in Uzbekistan's clean energy journey. We are strong supporters of the country’s ambitious renewable energy targets, alongside key partners including ADB. Projects like Nur Bukhara will enhance the affordability and accessibility of reliable, clean energy for all Uzbek citizens and drive private sector growth." To meet the increasing demand for energy from Uzbekistan’s economy and growing population, the government aims to increase renewable energy generation by up to 25 GW, equivalent to 40 percent of the country’s overall electricity consumption, by 2030.