The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $1 million grant for the promotion of floating solar PV projects in Tajikistan. This marks a shift for Tajikistan as the country looks for innovative ways to develop renewables despite the harsh geographical conditions it faces as a Central Asian state.
Ko Sakamoto, ADB’s Country Director in Tajikistan, highlighted the project’s natural synergy with the local environment:
“This innovative initiative aims to make the most of what Tajikistan has to offer: sun and water. It is a smart step toward a future where everyone has reliable energy year-round, without harming the environment.”
Overcoming Land Constraints
Tajikistan is famously mountainous, with about 93% of its territory covered by mountains. This leaves very little flat land available for large infrastructure projects. Because the limited flat land is mostly used for housing and farming, building traditional ground-mounted solar farms is both difficult and expensive.
Floating solar panels, often called “floatovoltaics,” provide a perfect solution. By placing solar arrays on the surface of existing reservoirs, the country can generate clean power without taking up valuable land.
Turning Reservoirs into Power Hubs
The ADB grant will fund technical experts to study up to five reservoirs across Tajikistan. They will check which locations are best for floating solar panels. Once the best site is chosen, a detailed “feasibility study” will be done to plan a large-scale power plant.
These floating systems offer several benefits beyond just saving land:
- Efficiency: The water naturally cools the solar panels, which helps them produce more electricity.
- Water Savings: The panels shade the water, reducing evaporation a key benefit for a country that relies on water for its massive hydropower plants.
- Infrastructure: Many reservoirs are already connected to the power grid, making it cheaper to send the new solar energy to homes and businesses.
Modernizing the Energy Sector
The grant isn’t just about technology; it’s also about better business. Part of the money will be used to modernize the financial systems of Barki Tojik, the state-owned energy utility. This is intended to make the company’s operations more efficient and transparent.
This project is part of a larger renewable energy push in the region. Tajikistan recently launched a program to build 500 megawatts of solar power, while the ADB is also supporting a 300-megawatt solar and battery storage project in neighboring Uzbekistan.
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