Uzbekistan, ADB Launch Central Asia’s Largest Solar and Battery Energy Project

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with ACWA Power, Sumitomo Corporation, Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc, and Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc, has signed a landmark financing deal to build two major solar power plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Uzbekistan.

The Samarkand 1 and 2 Solar PV and BESS projects, to be implemented in the Samarkand and Bukhara regions, will become the largest solar and storage facilities in Central Asia, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Once completed, they will provide clean electricity to around 600,000 households and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 million tons annually.

The project includes 1,000 MW of solar capacity and 1,336 MWh of energy storage, along with new transmission lines and substations to enhance Uzbekistan’s power grid.

ADB President Masato Kanda said the initiative represents “one of the region’s most significant renewable energy projects” and highlights how “partnership and innovation can deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy while reducing emissions.”

To support the project, ADB arranged $140 million in financing, including $70 million from its own funds, $10 million from the LEAP 2 fund, and $60 million in syndicated loans. The bank will also provide up to $85 million in credit guarantees, assisting to mobilize over $1.2 billion in private and partner investments.

Other financial partners include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Islamic Development Bank, and Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Commercial lenders under Japan’s export credit coverage (NEXI) include Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, The Norinchukin Bank, and KfW IPEX-Bank.

The project, launched as ADB and Uzbekistan celebrate 30 years of partnership, marks a major step toward the country’s clean energy transition and the region’s sustainable future.