Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Nov. 9 /Trend D.Azizov /
Uzbekistan plans to construct a second steam-gas plant by 2015 in Navoi thermal power plant in the central part of the country, Uzbekenergo told Trend on Friday.
According to the agency's interlocutor, the feasibility study of project providing construction of 450 MW stem-gas plant and gas boosting compressor station.
The preliminary project cost is about $500 million. The project is planned to be financed through Uzbekenergo's own funds, a loan of the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan and foreign loans.
"Japan International Development Agency (JICA) may become the alleged creditor of the project on invitation of the government," the source said.
According to him, the talks with JICA on attraction of a loan of up to $250 million are continuing.
It is expected that the feasibility study will be approved by the government in early 2013. After this JICA administration will decide on the allocation of preferential credit for the project.
In October this year, construction of steam-gas plant at Navoi thermal power plant with capacity of 478 MW was completed.
Implementation of the project will provide an opportunity to develop an additional 3.4 billion kWh of electricity annually through saving fuel.
Currently, the steam-gas plant is already generating electricity.
The installed capacity of Navoi TPP with the new steam-gas plant amounted to 1.546.000 MW, the annual electricity production is 7.9 billion kWh.
The project cost is $530 million. Funding was provided by a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan in the amount of $351 million, Uzbekenergo's own funds- $70.2 million and loans from local commercial banks - $46.8 million.
The general contractor is an international consortium of Spanish Initec Energia and Turkish Calik Enerji.
According to the contract terms Calik constructed the installation, Initec carried out design and engineering services. The supplier of the steam-gas plant is Japanese Mitsubishi.
Capacity extension of Navoi TPP is a component of the project on energy provision of Navoi free industrial economic zone.
Navoi TPP, one of the largest power plants in Central Asia with an installed capacity of 1,250 MW.
About 45 power plants with total capacity of about 12,400 MW, including 16 Uzbekenergo ones with a total capacity of 12,040 MW operate in the Uzbek power system.
According to official statistics, Uzbekistan increased electricity production by 1.3 per cent up to 52.416 billion kilowatt-hours in 2011 compared to 2010.
