Navoi, Uzbekistan
Harnessing Sunshine in Uzbekistan for the First Time
140K tons of CO₂ EMISSIONS REDUCED annually
Inhabitants 467,600 GDP per capita $1,251 Geographic area 35 km²
THE CHALLENGE Largely covered by the Kyzylkum desert, Navoi’s potential as a viable site for large-scale solar park development has not been tapped fully.
Co-benefits
Uzbekistan is rich in sunshine hours, yet 90% of its electricity is sourced from fossil fuels. The country’s first solar park will initiate a transition to renewables for electricity needs and push this number down. A new PV solar park will be established in Navoi, a region in the north of Uzbekistan mostly covered by the Kyzylkum desert. The region will host what is hoped to be the first of multiple large-scale solar parks, with a starting capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) and an estimated production output of 255 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, enough to power 150,000 homes. It will also reduce an estimated 140,000 tCO2e emissions every year through the displacement of fossil fuel generation. The power plant will start supplying the grid in the first quarter of 2022 and will reshuffle Uzbekistan’s energy portfolio and grow the share of renewables beyond the current 10% that is held by hydropower. With a goal to bring renewables' share to 25% by 2030 on the national agenda, 9% is planned to be held by solar power, with the remaining 11% to be held by hydropower and 5% by wind power. The project received a $13 million loan from ADB and an $8 million loan from the ADB-administered Canadian Climate Fund.
Economic By contributing to energy security, the project will help to protect against energy unreliability, preventing economic losses. Social Developing solar and other renewables will create green jobs for the people of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan’s clean energy target. Uzbekistan is aiming to have 25% renewable energy by 2030 (photo by ADB).
6 100 CLIMATE ACTIONS FROM CITIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
