The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Nur Navoi Solar (NNS) have signed loans of up to $17.5 million for a 100-megawatt solar plant that will be the first public-private partnership (P3) renewable energy project in Uzbekistan.
The project will play a catalytic role in improving access to affordable and reliable renewable energy in rural parts of the country. The financing package for the plant, to be built near Navoi City in central Uzbekistan, includes a loan from ADB and a loan from the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in Asia II (CFPS II), which will be administered by ADB.
Uzbekistan is reliant on fossil fuels, with most of its electricity supplied by natural gas. Its aging power grid results in high transmission and distribution losses. Power deficits are especially acute in southern and western regions, where some schools and hospitals are unable to operate at full capacity due to unreliable electricity supply.
The 100-megawatt project will gene