ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 7. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has signed a $36 million loan agreement for the development, construction, and operation of a 100-megawatt (MW) wind power plant in the Zhambyl region of southern Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
As the AIIB noted, the project is co-developed by China Power International Holding and Visor International DMCC and will be co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It will also be supported by concessional financing of up to $10 million from the Green Climate Fund and up to $5.7 million from the Clean Technology Fund.
The project funds will be allocated for the construction and operation of the power plant and its integration into the power grid.
As the bank explains, the development of wind power in Central Asia will boost Kazakhstan’s renewable energy capacity and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the region. When fully operational, the plant is expected to help reduce the country’s emissions by over 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent per year on average.
The investment builds on AIIB’s expanding portfolio of sustainable infrastructure projects in the region. It firmly aligns with AIIB’s commitment to ensure that 50 percent of all overall approved financing will be directed toward climate finance by 2025.
"Our second investment into wind power in Kazakhstan underlines AIIB’s support for the Government of Kazakhstan’s transition to a green economy," said Konstantin Limitovskiy, AIIB’s Vice President for Investment Operations.
The Shokpar 100 MW Wind Power Plant project follows the successful implementation of the 100 MW Zhanatas Wind Power Plant, which sits on an adjacent land plot. AIIB approved the Zhanatas project in 2019, and all 40 of its turbines have been fully operational since 2021.
To date, AIIB has approved over $836 million in capital for projects in Kazakhstan.
