Navoi Scaling Solar Independent Power Producer Project

2021 - 2023

The proposed project will be the country’s first competitively selected private investment in power generation, first grid-scale renewable energy project, and first World Bank guarantee operation in Uzbekistan, with strong demonstration effects in Central Asia and beyond. The proposed Navoi Scaling Solar IPP Project supports the Government's policy objectives and reforms in the energy sector. These include expanding generation capacity through renewables, improving security of supply from domestic energy resources and promoting private sector participation to strengthen the energy sector sustainability, which is crucial for economic recovery and growth and job creation. Support under this WBG initiative is expected to accelerate the Uzbekistan energy sector development and improve its efficiency by deploying new business and financing schemes in the form of PPPs/IPPs. The Navoi Scaling Solar IPP will also support the Government’s commitments on climate change and its Nationally Determined Contribution implementation, particularly through the development of renewable energy and avoidance of GHG emissions. The proposed project’s implementation and success will further accelerate the deployment of new renewable generation capacities, and hence the clean energy transition to stimulate economic recovery and development of appropriate infrastructure, when the COVID-19 crisis eases. The proposed project will involve the first-time deployment of an IFC financing in the energy sector and the IBRD’s risk mitigation product in Uzbekistan. The project will directly contribute to the Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) /Cascade Approach goals and bring additional climate co-benefits from the development of scalable clean energy investment program.

Hydro4u- Sustainable small-scale hydropower in Central Asia

2021 - 2026

Hydro4U is a project funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Under the coordination of Technical University of Munich, 13 partners from 8 countries are collaborating to boost sustainable small-scale hydropower in Central Asia. Eco-friendly hydropower solutions will be implemented in two demonstration plants in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Promoting women’s economic empowerment in the energy sector in Central Asia

2021 - 2028

The OSCE project on promoting women’s economic empowerment in the energy sector aims to address this imbalance and help OSCE participating States in Central Asia advance both their energy sustainability and gender-equality goals, tapping into the job creation potential of the energy transition.

Electricity Sector Transformation and Resilient Transmission

2021 - 2028

The proposed Project would have the following four components: (i) Digitalization of the electricity transmission sector; (ii) Power grid strengthening and renewable energy integration; (iii) NEGU institutional development and project implementation support; and (iv) Electricity market development.COMPONENT 1: Digitalization of the electricity transmission sector. The proposed Project will take advantage of the modern digital technologies to support the enhanced monitoring, automation and control of the power system in Uzbekistan. Digital technologies to be deployed under the proposed Project would comprise of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Energy Management System (EMS) and substation Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). This component will also support an upgrade of NEGU’s digital telecommunication network to enable those systems to be fully functional.COMPONENT 2: Power grid strengthening and renewable energy integration. The proposed investments under the Component 2 will support: (a) modernization of 22 priority transmission substations that were commissioned in 1940/1950s; and (b) construction of a new greenfield substation Koltsevaya 500 kV as well as associated transmission lines to meet increasing demand and improve the reliability of electricity supply for residential, industrial, commercial and public consumers in the Central part of Uzbekistan, where the transmission networks are currently overloaded. COMPONENT 3: NEGU institutional development and project implementation support. This component will support developing and improving the institutional capacity, financial substantiality and technical capabilities of NEGU to ensure it can effectively carry out its functions of reliable operation of the transmission system and electricity market in Uzbekistan. The component will include the following sub-components: (i) Modernization of NEGU business process; (ii) NEGU financial sustainability and preparatory work to access commercial financing; (iii) NEGU institutional capacity building and project implementation support; and (iv) Technical supervision consultancy.COMPONENT 4: Electricity market development. This component will provide technical assistance for the design and implementation of the electricity sector’s transition plan toward the establishment of a wholesale electricity market, including the preparation of secondary legislation, market rules, institutional capacity building, and design and implementation of systems required for market operation and management

Solar IPP

2021 -

100 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in Samarkand region promoted by Total Eren.

Sirdarya 1,500MW CCGT Power Project

2021 -

The Project involves the design, engineering, construction, operation, maintenance, and transfer of a 1,500MW greenfield combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant and associated infrastructure to be implemented as an Independent Power Producer (IPP) facility. The Project is being developed by ACWA Power, through a Project Company, which has entered into a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with JSC National Electric Networks of Uzbekistan (NENU) in March 2020.

Uzbekistan : Power Sector Reform Support Program TA

2021 - 2024

The proposed transaction technical assistance (TA) will provide critical policy advisory, legal and analytical support, and capacity building for the government to pursue the restructuring of the power sector aimed at enabling competition and creating a conducive environment for private investment.

EU Support to Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA)

2022 - 2026

This is the first dedicated and sizeable programme in years to focus on sustainable energy in Central Asia (covering both renewable energy and energy efficiency) through a regional approach. It will naturally be in line with EU best practices and priorities, not least the Green Deal’s iterations. The programme will have a range of activities that will work towards achieving concrete outputs to strengthen public capacity (institutional, human and regulatory, financial), raise awareness, improve data and modelling, improve the identification of bankable projects, and boost regional cooperation thereby paving the way for sustainable connectivity. To be implemented by 1 service contractor (possibly leading a consortium of consultancies). The programme follows the EU4Energy Programme (2016 – 2020).

Strengthening Energy Sector Co-operation and Analysis in Central Asia in the Context of Afghanistan’s Energy Crisis

2022 - 2024

“Strengthening Energy Sector Co-operation and Analysis in Central Asia in the Context of Afghanistan’s Energy Crisis” aims to provide up-to-date data and analysis on energy trade and cooperation, as well as developing a regional framework to help address the impact of the Afghan crisis on regional energy security.

Uzbekistan Bash WPP

2022 -

The project finance basis to finance the development, design, construction and operation of the 500 MW Bash WPP as well as associated 500 kV overhead transmission lines located in the Gijduvon district, Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan Dzhankeldy WPP

2022 -

The project is to finance the development, design, construction and operation of the 500 MW Dzhankeldy WPP as well as associated 500 kV overhead transmission lines located in the Peshku district, Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.

Clean Energy for Buildings in Uzbekistan (P176060)

2022 - 2028

The project has three components: (a) clean energy investments in public buildings; (b) TA to enhance the enabling environment for EE investments, support market development, and provide project implementation support; and (c) the Contingent Emergency and Response Component (CERC). The project simultaneously addresses the objectives to save energy in public buildings and enhance the regulatory framework for clean energy investments in the buildings sector, creating the foundation for the successful implementation of the UBEEP.

Zarafshon Wind

2022 -

The project is to finance the construction and operation of a pilot wind project with 500 MW installed capacity located in the Tamdy District of Uzbekistan. This will be one of the first wind projects in Uzbekistan and one of the largest renewable energy projects in Central Asia.

Upgrade of the large solar furnace in Parkent to demonstrate production stages for green carbon fibers

2022 - 2024

The aim of this research project is to provide the scientific basis and experimental evidence for an upgrade from 1 MW to 4 MW power as well as the receiver technology for a raw furnace for carbon fiber production

Green Hydrogen Generation Potential, based on Renewable Energies in Central Asia (Green-HyReCa)

2023 - 2024

The project investigates whether the production and export of green hydrogen is possible given the natural resources and energy infrastructure, whether sustainability criteria can be met, whether it can contribute to the strengthening and decarbonization of national energy systems and whether regional cooperation can be strengthened through the production of green hydrogen.