Overhaul of Dushanbe district heating system gains funding.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced $10m of funding for the first Tajikistan project to be undertaken through its dedicated green cities programme.
$5m of grant funding and $5m in sovereign loans will support the upgrade of the district heating system in the Tajikistan capital, Dushanbe, overhauling pumping stations and extending the network. The project will also introduce apartment-level metering on a pilot basis to help modernise the energy market in the city.
To date, the EBRD has invested €731m in 139 projects in Tajikistan but this is the first project undertaken as part of its green cities programme that aims to reduce the environmental impact of urban life.
With a population of more than 800,000, Dushanbe is the largest city in the country and the upgrade of its district heating should reduce greenhouse gases by 39,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. It should also achieve annual water savings of around 100,000 cubic metres.
The EBRD recently published a report on the diverse obstacles to making cities sustainable and the green cities programme is working with 45 cities to support that process. It has so far secured more than €2.5bn in dedicated funding from and aims to increase the number of cities involved to 100 by 2024.
