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The provision of long-term senior debt of up to US$ 24.5 million for the development, construction and operation of a wind power plant with an installed capacity of 100 MW on a site in the Karatau mountain region in the Qorao'zak District of Karakalpakstan, Republic of Uzbekistan. The Project will be developed by a newly established special purpose vehicle in Uzbekistan, which will act as the borrower for the project financing. The ACWA Power Company -of Saudi Arabia (ACWA Power) will act as the sponsor for the project.
The Project will add 100 MW of wind generation capacity to the Uzbekistan power system. The project will contribute to the strategic priority of the government of Uzbekistan to increase the share of renewable projects in the national energy mix, assisting the country in its low-carbon transition drive. The Project will also result in strong environmental benefits with estimated annual CO2 emissions savings of up to 200,000 tonnes.
The transition impact of the Project will stem from its alignment with the EBRD's Green Economy Transition approach (GET) as it will allow producing electricity using wind power, which will assist the country in its low-carbon transition, reducing its current high reliance on thermal power generation.
The transition impact of the Project is also expected to stem from its contribution to the currently state-dominated Uzbekistan power sector by adding new capacity under private ownership.
ACWA POWER WIND KARATAU LLC
ACWA Power Wind Karatau LLC (the Borrower) is a limited liability company incorporated in Uzbekistan for the sole purpose of the Project.
ACWA Power is an international developer of power generation, desalinated water and green hydrogen production projects.
Up to US$ 24.5 million loan to the Borrower to finance the development of a 100 MW wind power plant project. Along with the EBRD, a number of other international financial institutions are expected to support the Project.
The project cost will consist of EPC, non- EPC and financing costs.
Financing structure: The Bank offers financing on terms and conditions not available in the local market for this major infrastructure project, particularly in view of the limited liquidity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Policy, sector, institutional, or regulatory change: The Bank is actively involved in the development of policy dialogue in Uzbekistan. The Project is a key milestone for the country's renewables sector as it is the first tendered wind power project in Uzbekistan.
Categorised B (Environmental and Social Policy - ESP 2019) and High to Medium Risk due to the wind sector and potential impacts on biodiversity and land use.
Preliminary information suggests that the Project is not located in a proximity to any protected or sensitive areas. Bank has supported preparation of the wind auction for this site, including one-year bird survey and collision risk modelling, which suggests the collision risks are to be low, which should be verified once the Wind Power Plant design and turbine locations are determined.
The Client is well known to the Bank through previous project in Uzbekistan, has the well-established Environmental & Social (E&S) management systems, and has been duly implementing the Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) agreed for the previous transactions. Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD) for the Project is currently being undertaken by an independent E&S Consultant and will include review of the Client's Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) documentation, assessment of cumulative impacts from the Project and the associated infrastructure, community and livelihood impacts resulting from land take and operation of wind farm, social, labour and safety aspects during construction and operation, as well as ongoing supply chain risk assessment management. Gender issues/risks will be also assessed in line with the EBRD Performance Requirements. The ESDD will establish need in additional avifauna survey and mitigation measures based on a bird collision risk assessment.
The Company has developed a draft Non-Technical Summary (NTS) and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), which will be based on the environmental and social assessments carried out for the project. This Project Summary Description (PSD) will be updated once ESIA is complete.
Javid Alifli jalifli@acwapower.com +994 12 465 99 38 https://acwapower.com/
Further information regarding the EBRD’s approach to measuring transition impact is available here.
For business opportunities or procurement, contact the client company.
For business opportunities with EBRD (not related to procurement) contact:
Tel: +44 20 7338 7168 Email: projectenquiries@ebrd.com
For state-sector projects, visit EBRD Procurement: Tel: +44 20 7338 6794 Email: procurement@ebrd.com
Specific enquiries can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.
The ESP and the associated Performance Requirements (PRs) set out the ways in which the EBRD implements its commitment to promoting “environmentally sound and sustainable development”. The ESP and the PRs include specific provisions for clients to comply with the applicable requirements of national laws on public information and consultation as well as to establish a grievance mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of stakeholders’ concerns and grievances, in particular, about environmental and social performance of the client and the project. Proportionate to the nature and scale of a project’s environmental and social risks and impacts, the EBRD additionally requires its clients to disclose information, as appropriate, about the risks and impacts arising from projects or to undertake meaningful consultation with stakeholders and consider and respond to their feedback.
More information on the EBRD’s practices in this regard is set out in the ESP.
The EBRD's Office of the Chief Compliance Officer (OCCO) promotes good governance and ensures that the highest standards of integrity are applied to all activities of the Bank in accordance with international best practice. Integrity due diligence is conducted on all Bank clients to ensure that projects do not present unacceptable integrity or reputational risks to the Bank. The Bank believes that identifying and resolving issues at the project assessment approval stages is the most effective means of ensuring the integrity of Bank transactions. OCCO plays a key role in these protective efforts, and also helps to monitor integrity risks in projects post-investment.
OCCO is also responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct in EBRD-financed projects. Anyone, both within or outside the Bank, who suspects fraud or corruption should submit a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer by email to compliance@ebrd.com. All matters reported will be handled by OCCO for follow-up. All reports, including anonymous ones, will be reviewed. Reports can be made in any language of the Bank or of the Bank's countries of operation. The information provided must be made in good faith.
The AIP sets out how the EBRD discloses information and consults with its stakeholders so as to promote better awareness and understanding of its strategies, policies and operations following its entry into force on 1 January 2020. Please visit the Access to Information Policy page to find out what information is available from the EBRD website.
Specific requests for information can be made using the EBRD Enquiries form.
If efforts to address environmental, social or public disclosure concerns with the Client or the Bank are unsuccessful (e.g. through the Client’s Project-level grievance mechanism or through direct engagement with Bank management), individuals and organisations may seek to address their concerns through the EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM).
IPAM independently reviews Project issues that are believed to have caused (or to be likely to cause) harm. The purpose of the Mechanism is: to support dialogue between Project stakeholders to resolve environmental, social and public disclosure issues; to determine whether the Bank has complied with its Environmental and Social Policy or Project-specific provisions of its Access to Information Policy; and where applicable, to address any existing non-compliance with these policies, while preventing future non-compliance by the Bank.
Please visit the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism webpage to find out more about IPAM and its mandate; how to submit a Request for review; or contact IPAM via email ipam@ebrd.com to get guidance and more information on IPAM and how to submit a request.