Uzbekistan seeks investors for 1,500 MW gas power plant

Hyundai

04/03/2020 12:56

ALMATY, March 4 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan on Wednesday invited
foreign companies to take part in a project to build a 1,500
megawatt (MW) gas power plant in what it wants to become the
biggest energy public-private partnership to date, the country's
energy ministry said.
    The ministry said it has pitched the project to executives
from Sumitomo  8053.T , Mitsui  8031.T , Engie  ENGIE.PA , EDF
 EDF.PA , Kepco  KEPCOE.UL , AcwaPower, Hyundai  011760.KS ,
Mitsubishi  8058.T , Marubeni  8002.T , and other companies who
took part in a videoconference.
    The proposed deal is for the construction of a combined
cycle gas plant in the Central Asian nation's Sirdarya province,
the ministry said in a statement.
    It did not say whether any companies had expressed an
immediate interest or how much the project would cost, but Uzbek
news website Gazeta.uz reported last October a figure of around
$1.1 billion. The combined capacity of Uzbekistan's existing
power plants is 12,400 MW.
    Work is already under way on similar public-private projects
to build three 200 MW solar power plants in different parts of
the former Soviet republic.
    Uzbekistan cancelled an investment conference which was due
to be held in Tashkent this week, citing the coronavirus
outbreak.

 (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
 ((olzhas.auyezov@thomsonreuters.com; +7 727 2508 500; Reuters
Messaging: olzhas.auyezov.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))