Uzbekistan to receive $65M from EBRD for groundbreaking renewable Hydrogen project

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  • The plant is expected to produce up to 3,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year after it becomes operational, reducing annual CO2 emissions by approximately 22,000 tons

TASHKENT, August 28/Kun.Uz/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is set to support Uzbekistan in decarbonizing its fertilizer production and electricity generation by financing the country’s first renewable hydrogen production facilities. According to UzNews.uz, the EBRD will provide funding for a project that includes a 20 MW electrolyzer and a 52 MW wind power plant.

The financial package, valued at $65 million, will be granted to ACWA Power UKS Green H2, a company jointly owned by ACWA Power, a global energy developer, and Uzkimyosanoat (UKS), which oversees chemical enterprises in Uzbekistan. The package consists of a $55 million senior loan from the EBRD and up to $10 million in concessional financing from Canada’s High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action (HIPCA) Special Fund. Additionally, the EBRD plans to offer a subordinated equity loan of up to $5.5 million.

Nandita Parshad, EBRD Managing Director for Sustainable Infrastructure, highlighted the project’s significance, noting that it is the first of its kind in Central Asia—a region where carbon-intensive industries make emission reductions challenging.

The initiative aims to replace gray hydrogen, currently produced from natural gas and used extensively in Uzbekistan’s ammonia fertilizer production, with renewable hydrogen. The facility is expected to generate up to 3,000 tons of renewable hydrogen annually, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 22,000 tons each year.