The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has pledged up to $250mn (€240mn) in a sovereign loan to support Uzbekistan’s efforts to modernize its irrigation infrastructure. The funds will enable the Ministry of Water Resources to upgrade 110 pumping stations across 10 regions, aiming to improve the efficiency of the country’s irrigation system.
The project will replace old pumps with modern, energy-efficient models designed to reduce electricity consumption by approximately 251,000 MWh annually. This improvement is expected to cut carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by more than 117,000 tonnes each year.
In addition to the pump upgrades, the loan will finance refurbishments to related infrastructure and the installation of rooftop solar panels to further enhance sustainability.
Uzbekistan’s agriculture heavily relies on irrigation due to limited rainfall throughout the year. The EBRD’s investment is part of a broader national irrigation modernization programme, which targets a 25% reduction in electricity use across the irrigation network. The programme also plans to implement water-saving technologies covering nearly half of the country’s irrigated land.
Since beginning its work in Uzbekistan, the EBRD has invested nearly €5.6bn in 181 projects, predominantly supporting private sector development. For the last five years, Uzbekistan has been the largest recipient of EBRD funding in Central Asia.
Earlier, it was reported that Uzbekistan plans to attract an additional €1.1bn in 2025, with the majority of funding aimed at supporting the private sector.
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