JICA helps Uzbekistan boost electric power sector

By Trend

Electric Power Sector Capacity Development Project aims at increasing the power supply and improving the power generation efficiency in Uzbekistan, Mizuho Kubota, Project Formulation Advisor of JICA Uzbekistan Office told Trend in an interview.

On December 19, 2019, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed three loan agreements with the Government of Uzbekistan in Tokyo, to provide Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans of up to a total of 187.890 billion yen ($1.7 billion) for three projects aiming at high-quality infrastructure and industrial diversification. These are Navoi Thermal Power Plant Modernization Project, Phase 2 (loan amount - $1.2 billion), Electric Power Sector Capacity Development Project, Phase 2 (loan amount - $344,1 million), and Horticulture Value Chain Promotion Project (loan amount - $217,1 million).

"Japan has been assisting Uzbekistan in constructing new gas thermal power plants within the Navoi Thermal Power Plant Modernization Project worth $327.1 million under a loan agreement of 2013 and Turakurgan Thermal Power Plant Construction Project under a loan agreement of 2015 amounting to $675.1 million. Both projects have been implemented by Japanese companies. In addition, the Japanese government has been supporting the construction of a cogeneration plant as the Tashkent Thermal Power Cogeneration Plant Construction Project under a loan agreement of 2015 for $112.8 million," Mizuho Kubota said.

Kubota added that the Electric Power Sector Capacity Development Project worth $28.2 million with a Japanese ODA loan (loan agreement in 2015,) provided funds for procuring spare parts and technical advisory service required to operate, maintain, and manage Navoi Thermal Power Plant unit one.

He noted that Japan has been assisting Uzbekistan in developing training courses and systems for staff that operate, maintain, and manage gas thermal power generation at the Navoi Thermal Power Plant through a technical cooperation project for establishment of the Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Operation and Maintenance Training Center, which was commissioned in 2019. The aims to provide training on operation, maintenance, and management of the training center which was established within the project.

Electric Power Sector Capacity Development Project will complete by the end of December 2026.

JICA is one of the world’s largest bilateral aid agencies. It’s in charge of administering Japan’s Official Development Assistance, which is an arm of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency supports socioeconomic development in developing countries through flexible combination of various types of assistance methods, such as Technical Cooperation, Finance and Investment Cooperation, and Grants.

It operates in approximately 150 countries of the world.