RIYADH: Saudi energy giant ACWA Power has secured an $80 million equity bridge loan from the Bank of China for its Uzbekistan initiatives. According to an official press release, the payment is split equally between Chinese yuan and US dollars, marking the first loan cooperation deal by a bank from the Asian country using its native currency involving a company from the Kingdom. ACWA Power said the fund will boost its Tashkent 200 megawatts solar photovoltaic power plant and 500 MW per hour battery energy storage system project in Uzbekistan. “This transaction culminated the initial agreement reached during the 3rd BRF (Belt and Road Forum) summit in October 2023, where ACWA Power was represented by its chairman as a keynote speaker,” the company said in a statement. ACWA Power’s Chief Financial Officer, Abdulhameed Al-Muhaidib, highlighted the significance of this milestone, citing its alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and China’s Belt and Road initiative. He said: “We are delighted to deepen our cooperation with Bank of China to bring renewable energy at competitive tariffs to our key markets, including Uzbekistan.” ACWA Power has a longstanding relationship with Chinese entities, dating back over 15 years, with investments from the Asian country in the company’s projects exceeding $10 billion. The General Manager of the Bank of China, Pan Xinyuan, said: “I believe that the Belt and Road Initiative is in harmony with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Bank of China will further leverage its strengths to support the cooperation between Saudi enterprises like ACWA Power and their Chinese partners for win-win objectives.” He added: “Looking ahead, Bank of China will continue to improve financial connectivity to push the Belt and Road economies on a track of sustainable and high-quality development.” ACWA Power has been collaborating with multiple countries to develop its plants. Earlier this month, the company signed a $800 million agreement with Senegal’s Ministry of Water to develop a desalination facility. It announced the inking of a water purchase agreement for the construction of the facility in Dakar, Senegal in a statement on the Saudi stock exchange, Tadawul. ACWA Power will be responsible for the infrastructure, design and financing as well as construction, operation and maintenance of the Grande Cote seawater desalination plant in the West African country.