A 100MW PV plant in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has come one step closer to beginning construction after officials from the South Korean and Uzbekistan governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) this week to cooperate in bringing solar power to the country.
Local news sources including regional news agency Trend reported that the MoU was signed during the recent visit to South Korea of Uzbekistan’s deputy prime minister Rustam Azimov, who is also the country’s finance minister. And Azernews from nearby Azerbaijan also said that around US$75 million will be loaned to the Uzbek government by the South Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) towards the project.
PV Tech reported in late November that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to lend US$110 million toward the cost of building the plant. Total cost of construction is expected to be around US$300 million.
Known as the Samarkand Solar Power Project, the power station will be the first solar PV plant built in Uzbekistan. According to Azernews, the plant will not be completed until early 2019.
