Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Nov. 2 / Trend D.Azizov /
Uzbekistan may draw a syndicated loan worth $800 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank (WB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of two combined-cycle power plants (CCPP) at the Talimardjan power plant (Kashkadarya province), head of the Uzbek Finance Ministry's International Cooperation department Shukhrat Vafayev said in the article "Uzbek model: the success - in cooperation with international financial institutions and foreign investors," published in Pravda Vostoka newspaper.
"Currently, the ADB, WB and JICA are developing a package on joint financing on the project to build two combined-cycle power plants with substation and high voltage line at the Talimardjan power plant. The syndicated financing package is expected to be in the amount of about $800 million," the article said.
The Uzbek national company Uzbekenergo plans to realize the project by late 2014. The project envisages construction of two CCPP with a total capacity of 800 MW.
The company is expected to launch construction in 2010. At present, Teploenergoproekt (managed by Uzbekenergo) is developing a preliminary feasibility study.
In 2004, Uzbekenergo put into operation the first unit of the Talimardjan power plant (formerly Talimardjan state regional power plant) with a design capacity of 800 MW. The company planned to build four units with a capacity of 800 MW each.
Expansion of the station would eliminate the shortage of electricity power existing in the country's Samarkand-Bukhara region, as well as create reserve powers to supply electricity to export markets, including Afghanistan.
In 2009-2015, Uzbekenergo will modernize its thermal power plants (TPP) worth $1,912 billion. The modernization program aims to increase the generating capacity of TPP by 1,651 MW to 11,708 MW. Moreover, the company plans to bring the electricity production of TPP up to 50.5 billion kW/ h compared to 47 billion kW/ h in 2008.
Currently, 42 power stations with a total capacity of 12,358 MW, including the 16 Uzbekenergo's power stations with a total capacity of 12,040 MW, operate in the Uzbek energy system. [The rest of electricity is produced by autonomous thermal power industry enterprises and small hydroelectric power station belonging to the Agriculture and Water Ministry]. Potential power production is 56-57 billion kWh.
In 2008, Uzbekistan increased power production by 2.3 percent to 50,100 billion kWh compared to 2007.
Uzbekistan is part of a joint Central Asian Power System (CAPS).
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