Early Warning System

Regions

Europe and Central Asia

Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.

Countries

Uzbekistan

Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.

Specific Location

Chirchiq City, Tashkent region; Gijduvon district, Bukhara region

Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.

Financial Institutions

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.

Project Status

Proposed

Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.

Bank Risk Rating

Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."

Voting Date

Mar 6, 2024

Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.

Borrower

ACWA Power UKS Green H2 LLC JV

A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.

Sectors

Energy

The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.

Investment Type(s)

Loan

The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.

Investment Amount (USD)

$ 5.50 million

Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.

Loan Amount (USD)

$ 5.50 million

Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.

Project Cost (USD)

$ 5.50 million

Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.

Other Related Projects

Primary Source

Original disclosure @ EBRD website

Updated in EWS Feb 1, 2024

Disclosed by Bank Jan 29, 2024

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Project Description

If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

As stated by the EBRD, the Project entails the provision of an equity bridge loan of up to US$ 5.5 million to finance the construction of an integrated renewable hydrogen production facility consisting of a 20 MW electrolyser fed by greenfield 52 MW wind power plant to produce around 3,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually. The electrolyser will be located in the Chirchiq City, Tashkent region, and the wind power plant will be in the Gijduvon district, Bukhara region. The wind facility will be collocated with the existing 500 MW EBRD-financed Uzbekistan Bash WPP. The loan will be guaranteed by Joint Stock Company UzKimyoSanoat.

EBRD FINANCE SUMMARY

USD 5,500,000.00

TOTAL PROJECT COST

USD 5,500,000.00

ADDITIONALITY

Financing Structure: the EBRD is additional in providing financing at terms and conditions not available in the local market.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SUMMARY

Categorised A (2019 ESP) on the basis of the expansion of a category A wind power project (Bash WPP) already financed by the Bank. The Project further includes a pilot hydrogen electrolyser plant to be located at a separate location at an existing ammonia production plant and which will be powered by the wind power plant expansion (once operational) through a wheeling agreement thus producing renewable hydrogen. The electrolyser plant component is categorised B. An ESIA has been developed for the expansion (52 MW) of the Bash 500 WPP and the ESIA package was disclosed on 21 December 2023 for a 60-day consultation period prior to consideration of the Project by the EBRD Board. The ESIA was subject to review by an independent consultant and the Bank. The electrolyser has also been subject to an ESIA for permitting purposes but that also considers the Bank's E&S requirements. This ESIA has also been reviewed by a consultant and the Bank. When available the Non-Technical Summary for the electrolyser will be disclosed with this PSD. An ESAP is currently being developed to structure the Project in line with the EBRD's E&S requirements.

The Bash 500 MW WPP (52772) is located in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan and is currently under construction. It was categorised A by the EBRD due to its size, sensitive location (biodiversity) and associated E&S risks. The Project proposes an expansion of the WPP by 52 MW which will involve installing 8x6.5MW turbines. The same A categorisation is maintained for the expansion. The ESIA developed for the expansion by independent consultants includes an ESIA report, SEP, NTS and framework for Environmental and Social Management which includes comprehensive biodiversity data and assessment of cumulative impacts. Other existing management documents (e.g. Resettlement Action Plan) have been updated. The expansion will utilise the overhead transmission line for the Bash WPP. The ESIA concludes that the expansion will have similar impacts to the current WPP and such impacts can be managed through the planned mitigation measures.

The pilot hydrogen electrolyser plant will be located within UKS's MAXAM Chirchiq ammonia production facility in Chirchiq. It is a category B project on the basis of its size and that E&S risks and impacts are expected to be readily addressed. An ESIA as well as a framework for Environmental and Social Management NTS and SEP have been developed by a consultant. The electrolyser will employ Best Available Techniques ("BAT") in its design and ensure that appropriate safety assessments and features are included. The ESIA indicates that impacts associated with the electrolyser are limited. The electrolyser will source water, albeit low volumes, from the existing water network at the ammonia plant. This is not expected to impact water availability. Location of the electrolyser within an existing industrial facility has potential to increase industrial safety risks. This is compounded by the presence of residential areas near to the facility. The electrolyser will produce limited amounts of hydrogen (3000 tons) which will be fed into the ammonia plant's network directly. No storage is required. The electrolyser's safety provisions will need to be integrated into the ammonia plant's existing safety assessments, procedures and emergency response approaches. With these provisions, it is expected that safety risks will be sufficiently addressed.

TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND GRANT FINANCING

The Project benefits from TC for its legal due diligence partially funded by the Japan-EBRD Cooperation Fund ("JECF").

COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION

Mr. Alimardon Abdukarimovaabdukarimov@acwapower.com+ 998 90 017 99 60https://www.acwapower.com/ACWA Power, Business Center Simurg Block-A, 3rd Floor,
Amir Temur Avenue 88a, Tashkent, 100084, Uzbekistan

Investment Description

Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Private Actors Description

A Private Actor is a non-governmental body or entity that is the borrower or client of a development project, which can include corporations, private equity and banks. This describes the private actors and their roles in relation to the project, when private actor information is disclosed or has been further researched.

As stated by the EBRD, "ACWA Power UKS Green H2 LLC JV" is a newly established special project vehicle incorporated in Uzbekistan for the development and implementation of the Project. The Borrower is owned by ACWA Power Company and Joint Stock Company UzKimyoSanoat (UKS).

ACWA Power is an international developer of power generation, desalinated water and renewable hydrogen production projects.

UKS is a chemical manufacturer based in the Republic of Uzbekistan. A subsidiary of UKS will be the off-taker of the renewable hydrogen produced by the Project.

Private Actor 1	Private Actor 1 Role	Private Actor 1 Sector	Relation	Private Actor 2	Private Actor 2 Role	Private Actor 2 Sector
JSC UzKimyoSanoat	Parent Company	Industry and Trade	contracts with	ACWA Power Company	Parent Company	Energy

Contact Information

This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

Client - ACWA Power UKS Green H2 LLC JV:

Mr. Alimardon Abdukarimov
Email: aabdukarimov@acwapower.com
Phone: + 998 90 017 99 60
Website: https://www.acwapower.com/
Address: ACWA Power, Business Center Simurg Block-A, 3rd Floor, Amir Temur Avenue 88a, Tashkent, 100084, Uzbekistan

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can request information by emailing: accessinfo@ebrd.com or by using this electronic form: https://www.ebrd.com/eform/information-request

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF EBRD

The Project Complaint Mechanism (PCM) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the PCM, it may assess compliance with EBRD's own policies and procedures to prevent harm to the environment or communities or it may assist you in resolving the problem that led to the complaint through a dialogue with those implementing the project. Additionally, the PCM has the authority to recommend a project be suspended in the event that harm is imminent.

You can contact the PCM at: pcm@ebrd.com or you can submit a complaint online using an online form at: http://www.ebrd.com/eform/pcm/complaint_form?language=en

You can learn more about the PCM and how to file a complaint at: http://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/project-finance/project-complaint-mechanism.html