The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan, in the development of RES projects, gives priority to environmental study and monitoring of the situation not only at the proposed sites for the construction of power plants, but also within a radius of about 50 km around.
The work is being carried out by specialists from the Ministry of Energy together with consultants and environmental and social experts. Data is collected on all the biodiversity that will surround the power plant, from ants to goitered gazelles and golden eagles, as well as nearby plants and groundwater.
For example, such work was carried out with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the construction project of a wind power plant (WPP) with a capacity of about 200 MW in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
In the process of research, in the area surrounding the project, golden eagles and eagles, partridges, red-footed falcons, larks and rare species of bullfinches, cranes and rollers, foxes and gazelles were found.
Based on the results of observations, internationally recognized experts prepared a report that complies with all international norms and standards for the conservation of ecology and biodiversity. Conducted observations and simulations of the movements of birds and mammals made it possible to identify potential minimal risks and prepare a plan to eliminate them.
Well-known domestic experts in the field of environmental protection and biology were involved in the process of studying and preparing a report on them. Among them, Yakub Ametov, Ph.D. in Biology, Deputy Professor of the Department of Ecology and Soil Studies of the Karakalpak State University, and Akylbek Tureyev, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Lower-Amudarya State Biosphere Reserve.
Without this report and preparations, the construction of a large industrial wind farm would not have been possible.
We add that projects for the construction of solar and wind power plants, including their environmental impact assessment, are carried out by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the support of reputable international development institutions such as the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Press Service of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan
817
