Uzbekistan awards tender for new gas plant

The Uzbek government announced November 19 it had picked an international consortium to build a new combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant.

The country’s minister of energy said a consortium of French company EDF, Japan’s Sojitz and Qatar’s Nebras Power won the tender for a CCGT plant with a planned capacity of 1,200-1,600 MW.

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“With the successful completion of another international tender to strengthen Uzbekistan’s energy sector, we have taken another significant step on the way to increased stability of energy supply,” energy minister Alisher Sultanov said. “It is also a sign that Uzbekistan is a place where international capital can be employed with safety of investment and great growth prospects.”

Uzbekistan produces most of its power using natural gas and is looking to double its generation capacity by 2030, while expanding renewable sources to 25% of the mix. Sultanov’s deputy, Azim Ahmedkhadzhayev, said the nation, meanwhile, can serve as an energy hub for Central Asia.

Regional cooperation over the past five years has made joint investments in energy projects possible, he said, citing Uzbekistan's continuing construction of high-voltage power links that connect its grid with those of its neighbours.

The consortium secured the tender with a low bid of $33.68/MWh. EDF, Nebras and Sojitz will form a new entity that will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with Uzbekistan’s grid operator to design, finance, build and operate the new plant.

No benchmark for completion was offered.