“Solar has been shown to provide the most renewable potential for Uzbekistan. Harnessing it to fuel development is no longer simply an option – it is a necessity,” Mr. Kuroda said at the ceremony in Tashkent. “ADB supports Uzbekistan’s commitment to building expertise, research, innovation and manufacturing capacity, and to making cost-effective investments in clean energy infrastructure, technologies and practices.”
Although Uzbekistan currently has plentiful supplies of coal, gas and oil, those resources are finite and rapidly depleting. Solar energy is one of the most promising alternatives, but the country needs to build its expertise in electricity generation from both photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. A key objective of the ISEI is to bridge this knowledge gap.
As a part of its Asia Solar Energy Initiative, ADB aims to help develop, finance and commission 3,000 MW of solar power generation capacity in developing Asian nations by mid- 2013.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members — 48 from the region.
