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BISHKEK (TCA) — Installing solar panels on foresters’ houses and educating children and youth on sustainability and environmental protection are two recent ways in which Kyrgyzstan, together with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has set about upscaling its sustainable forest management. Continue reading
TASHKENT (TCA) — Uzbekistan plans to build 25 solar power plants with a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) by 2030, with the first one to be completed in two years, Xinhua news agency reported citing an Uzbek energy official. Uzbekistan will start construction of the country's first 100 MW solar power plant in the Navoi region this year, Sherzod Khadjaev, deputy energy minister, told Uzbek state TV on April 1. He said the country plans to complete the construction within two years, and that another 24 such power plants are planned to be built by 2030. The government of Uzbekistan and SkyPower Global announced in 2018 the signing of a landmark solar power purchase agreement under which SkyPower Global will invest 1.3 billion U.S. dollars to build 1,000 MW of solar energy generation capacity throughout the country. Khadjaev said that the country will produce 67.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity this year and expects the figure will reach 120 billion kWh in 2030. The total potential of solar energy in Uzbekistan exceeds the equivalent of 51 billion tons of oil, according to expert estimates. Uzbekistan also reached a deal with Russia in 2018 to build the country's first nuclear power plant. In power generation, Uzbekistan remains heavily dependent on coal- and natural gas-burning power plants, but the country aims to increase the share of renewable energy generation in the coming years.
TASHKENT (TCA) — IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is advising the government of Uzbekistan on a landmark public-private partnership (PPP) transaction that will lead to the creation of a 100-megawatt solar plant in Navoi region. This project will be the first phase of a larger government initiative to generate up to 1-gigawatt of new solar energy, helping the country reduce dependence on gas and increase its share of renewable energy in the energy mix, the IFC said. Continue reading
ASTANA (TCA) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $11.5 million loan in tenge equivalent with Baikonyr Solar Limited Liability Partnership (Baikonyr Solar LLP) to support the development of solar power in Kazakhstan and further enhance the country’s energy security through increased renewable sources, the Bank said. The loan agreement for the Baikonyr Solar Power Project is the first time that long-term local currency financing has been provided by ADB for a solar project in Central Asia. It also marks ADB’s first foray in solar energy financing in the subregion, and its first cofinancing with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Kazakhstan’s renewable energy sector. “Kazakhstan’s energy sector has mostly relied on coal with almost 80% of the country’s electricity generated from coal-fired power plants, which are mostly outdated and obsolete,” said ADB Senior Investment Specialist for Private Sector Operations Mr. Mohammed Azim Hashimi. “ADB’s loan to Baikonyr will help Kazakhstan achieve its goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the country to 50% by 2050, while reducing its carbon emissions.” The project comprises the design, construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of a 50-megawatt solar power plant, along with the necessary infrastructure for grid integration. The solar plant—which is expected to generate 73 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year and will include approximately 150,822 photovoltaic panels, 14 central invertor stations, and a substation—will be located in southern Kazakhstan over 150 hectares of land. Baikonyr Solar LLP is a special purpose vehicle incorporated in Kazakhstan and is owned by UG Energy Limited and Baiterek Venture Fund Joint Stock Company (BVF), which is a subsidiary of Kazakh sovereign wealth fund Baiterek JSC. United Kingdom-based UG Energy Limited has been pioneering the development of industrial scale solar plants in Kazakhstan. “Building on the highly successful track record of our existing solar plants in Kazakhstan, we are particularly happy to have with the ADB and BVF two new strategic partners on board for our landmark Baikonyr project,” said UG Energy Director Mr. Albrecht Frischenschlager. By cutting carbon emissions, the project will help the country fulfill its nationally determined contribution to the Paris climate agreement of a 15% decrease in carbon emissions below 1990 levels by 2030. ADB’s assistance further helps private sector engagement in the energy sector, while the construction and operation of the solar plant is expected to generate employment for the local population.
ASTANA (TCA) — The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Hevel Kazakhstan on February 14 said they have signed a EUR 56.2 million long-term multi-currency loan facility agreement to finance the construction of solar power plants with an installed capacity of up to 90 MW in Kazakhstan. Continue reading
ASTANA (TCA) — Renewable power generation is set to play a greater role in Kazakhstan’s energy mix as a result of financing led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the construction of a new 50MW solar power plant in the south of the country, the Bank said on January 29. Continue reading
