Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy has announced a second solar photovoltaic project in Sherabad, the tender for which will be formally launched in early 2021.
The project will see a solar power station built in the Sherabad district of the Surkhandarya region.
The station will be in close proximity, and link up to facilities for the first project, which was announced in February 2020.
The second project is part of a strategy developed by Uzbekistan’s government, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to generate 1GW of solar energy.
In August 2019, the Uzbekistan Government mandated ADB to provide transaction advisory services for Uzbekistan’s 1GW solar energy programme.
The programme will lower energy costs for the Uzbek population, decrease the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce overall CO2 emissions.
Uzbekistan’s wider renewable energy strategy is to develop up to 5GW of cost effective, renewable energy in the next ten years – to meet large energy demand increases in the country.
Minister of Energy Alisher Sultanov said: “With thanks to the ADB and other partners, we are happy to announce the start of this exciting project – the first step along the road to new, sustainable and clean energy production for our future generations.
“Solar power is a priority for Uzbekistan, and we look forward to reaching our target of 1GW.
“Our solar energy strategy will create highly skilled, local clean energy jobs in line with the government’s program for energy diversification.
“The global solar energy market has doubled since 2019, with a record number of new installations targeted.
“In Uzbekistan, we are very happy to join the international community of solar power generators and have an industrial solar strategy in place.”
The first project is currently under tendering with a request for proposals issued on 14 December 2020, and a submission deadline of 15 March 2021.