Uzbekistan to Invest in Improving Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $143 million concessional credit for Uzbekistan. This financing will support a project aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public buildings and enhancing the institutional and regulatory framework in the buildings sector for attracting clean energy investments. The concessional financing is provided by the International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group, to the Government of Uzbekistan at a low-interest rate, with a repayment period of 30 years, including a five-year grace period. In Uzbekistan, the buildings sector accounts for 50 percent of the total final energy consumption, followed by the industry and transport sectors at 22 percent and 20 percent, respectively. In the public buildings sector, heating is responsible for about 70 percent of the energy consumption in regional hospitals, 84 percent in pre-schools, 88 percent in rural clinics, and 97 percent in public schools. Most of the public buildings were developed in the 1970s–1980s with little attention to energy efficiency. Thus, the facilities are poorly insulated, operate below thermal comfort standards, and use old boilers and water heating systems with high energy intensity. A study conducted by the World Bank in 2021 found that the annual energy savings potential from increased energy efficiency in pre-school, public school, and health care facilities, amounts to over 7,000 GWh (thermal: around 6,810 GWh, electricity: over 240 GWh). “This new World Bank-funded project will invest in the energy efficiency of public buildings in Uzbekistan, strengthening the building sector’s resilience to climate change and reducing energy consumption and gas emissions,” said Marco Mantovanelli, World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan. “This is one of the projects to be implemented under a recently approved World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework for 2022-2026, which, among other priorities, also aims to support the transition towards more sustainable growth in Uzbekistan.”
Tags : Uzbekistan Invest Improving Energy Efficiency Public Buildings Marco Mantovanelli World Bank Country International Development Association (IDA)Manager