SkyPower To Develop 1 GW PV In Uzbekistan

• SkyPower Global wants to develop 1 GW of solar PV capacity in Uzbekistan
• This capacity is planned to come up in the form of several large scale PV projects in Tashkent, Samarkand, Navoi, Jizzakh, Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions
• On April 28, 2018, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev issued a special decree that supports renewables porjects in the country
• Uzbek government would provide land for the projects and waive off certain taxes and customs duties
• SkyPower plans to design, finance, construct, own and operate the facilities

Canada based solar power project developer SkyPower Global plans to invest $1.3 billion to develop 1 GW of PV capacity in Uzbekistan. It signed an agreement with national utility JSC Uzbekenergo that would purchase all the power generated by these plants. SkyPower plans to set up this capacity in the form of several large scale PV projects.

On April 28, 2018, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev issued a decree 'On additional measures to implement investment projects in the field of renewable energy sources'. According to this, it will waive off custom duties and other taxes for SkyPower and its future subsidiaries to import PV products and related equipment. The state will also provide land for the projects in Tashkent, Samarkand, Navoi, Jizzakh, Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions.

SkyPower plans to design, finance, construct and operate the facilities, reported local media.

SkyPower had been interested in Uzbekistan for long. In 2015, it attended a presentation on economic and investment potential in Uzbekistan by Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA) to ascertain opportunities for joint projects in the field of solar energy, including production of solar panels in one of the industrial zones in the country, according to the Uzbekistan government's Jahon Information Agency.

 Uzbekistan depends on natural gas for the majority of its electricity needs. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in June 2017, a 'Resolution on Further Development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for 2017-2025' was passed in Uzbekistan, which targets a total of 100 MW solar by 2018, 200 MW by 2019, 300 MW by 2021 an d 450 MW by 2025.If its renewable energy goals are met it would increase the share of renewables in the country's power generation from 12.7% in 2016 to 19.7% in 2025.