KazTAG reported quoting source in the company that the company started to develop preliminary project. The company plans to prepare project’s feasibility study by the end of 2013 and start construction in 2014.

The preliminary cost of the project is US$500 million and will be financed due to foreign loans and resources of the Uzbek side.

In 2012, Uzbekenergo started to design solar station in Tashkent region with the capacity of 50 megawatt. It will produce 110 million KWH electricity a year. The project cost is US$250 million. It will be financed due to loan of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for US$90 million and funds of the Uzbek side.

Uzbekistan also plans to build several solar-based electric power plants with a capacity of over 2 GW, according to earlier reports. Those plants will be financed by Uzbenergo and loans from the Asia Development Bank (ADB), and other international financial organizations.

Uzbekistan is investing heavily in solar power, and has already attracted other foreign investors. Tashkent inaugurated a new solar research institute in February 2012, in cooperation with the ADB.

Potential of solar energy of Uzbekistan is rated at 50.9 billion tonnes of oil equivalent, which makes up 99.7% of all researched renewable energy in Uzbekistan.

Currently, Uzbekistan has 45 power stations with 12,400 megawatt, including 16 power stations of Uzbekenergo makes up 12,040 megawatt.

Uzbekistan produced 52.534 billion KWH of electricity in 2012, which grew by 0.2% compared to 2011.