US$174 million financing approved for 1 GW wind farms in Uzbekistan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ACWA Power Company (ACWA) have signed a US$174 million worth of loans to develop the Bash wind power and Dzhankeldy wind power plants, both located in the Bukhara region in Uzbekistan.

The financing comprises loans amounting to US$40.5 million for Bash and US$46.5 million for the Dzhankeldy funded through ADB’s ordinary capital resources. ADB will also administer US$40.5 million for Bash and US$46.5 million for Dzhankeldy from Leading Asia's Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP), administered to ADB. 

Each power plant consists of 79 wind turbines, for a total of 158 turbines that will generate 3,235 GWh and displace nearly 2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. Together, Bash and Dzhankeldy will be the largest utility-scale wind power development in the Central West Asia region. The loans will also fund the construction of 282.5 km of 500-kV, single-circuit overhead transmission to connect to the power grid.