TASHKENT, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek Energy Ministry on Saturday announced United Arab Emirates' Masdar Clean Energy as the winner in the country's first competitive tender for a solar power public-private partnership project.
Masdar was awarded the project with a bid to supply solar power at 2.7 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour, one of the lowest tariffs in emerging markets, and is expected to build a 100 MW solar power plant in Navoi region of the country within a year, the ministry said.
This announcement opens new markets for private investment and makes progress towards the country's goal to increase use of renewable energy, said the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group advising Uzbekistan in public-private partnerships, in a separate statement.
"This PPP success sets a precedent for future private sector participation in the country and sends a positive message to the global investment community," said Wiebke Schloemer, IFC's director for Europe and Central Asia.
Uzbekistan plans to establish 25 100 MW solar power factories by 2030 to diversify the country's energy mix and soon announce two more tenders for an additional PPP for 400 MW and 500 MW solar power plants.
