Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises Project kicks off in Uzbekistan

The Government of Uzbekistan attaches great importance to the reduction of energy intensity in the industrial sector. The country implements a strategy of industrial growth and export-oriented development. Large-scale program of the industrial sector modernization, aimed at increasing its share in GDP up to 28% by 2015, is part of this strategy. In 2010, the Government of Uzbekistan and the World Bank signed a financing agreement worth US$25 million for implementation of Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises Project in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The objective of the project is to improve the energy efficiency of industrial enterprises through the development and implementation of investment financing facility in the energy efficiency. On July 18, 2013, the Loan Agreement for additional funding for this Project in the amount of US$100 million has been signed.

Under the World Bank-funded Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises Project, an Econoler International Inc. consulting company with the financial support from ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program) has prepared the Sourcebook for Strategic Development of Industrial Energy Efficiency in Uzbekistan. All the interested parties, including the specialists of the Ministry of Economy, the experts of the regulatory bodies - Uzneftegazinspektsiya, Uzgosenergonadzor, chief executives of the industrial enterprises and associations, the lecturers of Tashkent State Technical University, the specialists of commercial banks - financial intermediaries of the Project, the non-governmental organizations, such as Association of Enterprises of Alternative Sources of Fuel and Energy participated in the conference.

The event participants learnt about the results of an industrial enterprises’ survey, determining the capacity for energy savings; they discussed the major obstacles on the path of improving the industrial energy efficiency; familiarized with international experience and the basic energy efficiency measures. Project staff and representatives of Asaka Bank, Hamkorbank and Uzpromstroybank talked about the goals and objectives of the Energy Efficiency Facility for Industrial Enterprises Project in Uzbekistan, its first results and prospects. The workshop was concluded with a live round table, where the perspectives and further measures to improve the energy efficiency in Uzbekistan were discussed.