The Chinese company Zhuhai Singyes Green Building Technology, which won the tender in 2016 for construction of the first large solar power plant (SPP) in Uzbekistan, was refused due to outdated technologies. The first deputy chairman of the JSC Uzbekenergo Ruslan Mubarakshin informed Kun.uz correspondent about this. 
 
“Specifications of the proposed technology from the Chinese company is already outdated. The process is not in place. We have requirements that there should be modern, high-tech installations and equipment. This is the reason for refusal of the Chinese company,” he said. 
 
On October 27, 2016, the inter-agency tender commission selected a Chinese company as the general contractor for designing, construction and exploitation of a 100 MW SPP in Pastdargom district of Samarkand region. In 2018, Uzbekistan suspended the project with a preliminary cost of $275 million. 
 
Last year, it became known that the Canadian company SkyPower Global will invest $1,3 billion in construction of the SPP with a total capacity of 1,000 MW. The site in the Samarkand region was also transferred to the investor. 
 
Mubarakshin stressed that cooperation with SkyPower Global is based on the model of direct attraction of foreign investment, without lending. Now, he said, the foreign company is conducting its researches in the territory of Uzbekistan. 
 
“Despite the fact that we have provided a map of the potential of solar activity, they want to conduct an independent study. They need time to figure out some points. Considering the great contribution, they make geology on their own, without relying on the data that we have provided them,” Mubarakshin noted. 
 
According to the results of the project, approximately 10% of the total production capacity of all energy sources in Uzbekistan will be produced in Samarkand, Jizzakh, Navoi, Sukhandarya, Kashkadarya and Tashkent regions, SkyPower Global confirms. In addition, the JSC Uzbekenergo has already committed to purchase electricity.