This is a greenfield project,  located in degraded habitat, which with its area of influence can be broadly classified as ‘Modified’ due to the extensive agricultural practices and activities that have taken place at the site in the past decades. There are no legally protected or internationally recognized areas at the project site or in its immediate vicinity, neither are there any significant biodiversity values that overlap with the project. Moreover, the YG canal is an artificial irrigation canal built after the 1940’s and is not a considered critical habitat for fish or any other animal or plant taxa. On this basis it is considered that the project does not trigger PS6 (Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources).

Indigenous people (or groups) have not been identified in the project area and therefore PS7 (Indigenous Peoples) is not applicable to this investment.

Site visits and consultations undertaken as part of ESIA confirm that there are no cultural heritage features within the project footprint and therefore PS8 (Cultural Heritage) is not considered to be triggered by the project. Nonetheless, potential cultural heritage risks and impacts related to construction will be addressed through a chance find procedure as described under PS1.                                                   

The project is categorized as Category A according to IFC’s Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability as it includes activities with potentially significant adverse environmental or social risks and/or impacts that are diverse, irreversible, or unprecedented. Key risks and impacts include economic displacement, air emissions (including greenhouse gases), noise, groundwater availability and occupational and community health and safety. There could also be cumulative impacts associated with the  continued operation of some units at the existing Syrdarya TPP and the construction and operation of the adjacent ACWA Power Sirdarya 1 IPP.                                                   

Environmental and Social Assessment and Management System

As part of the ESIA, a framework E&S Management System (ESMS) has been prepared for the project. This framework ESMS addresses both the Construction and Operation phases and includes policy statements, management and monitoring measures based on the risks identified, and a list of E&S management plans required for each phase. As outlined in ESAP #1,  ENERSOK will build upon the ESMS framework included in the ESIA to develop and implement a project-specific Environmental & Social Management System (ESMS) appropriate for the scale and complexity of the project, per the requirements of IFC PS1, WBG EHS General and Thermal Power Plant Guidelines, and applicable national laws and regulations, addressing both construction and operation. The ESMS will include an E&S policy defining ENERSOK’s E&S objectives in line with IFC E&S standards.  

The ESMS will also include a Commitments Register.  The Commitments Register will list all environmental and social commitments made by the sponsors in the ESIA documentation and through acceptance of the national permits and legal agreements stipulated with the Government of Uzbekistan.

As a minimum, the ESMS will include the following Management Plans: contractor/subcontractor management plan, waste management plan, occupational health and safety plan, emergency preparedness and response plan, hazardous materials handling and storage plan, traffic management plan, community health and safety and worker influx management plan, security management plan, chance find procedure, land acquisition and livelihood restoration plan (already in place), stakeholder engagement plan (already in place),  community development plan, grievance mechanism, supply chain procedure, water and wastewater management plan, noise management plan, air quality management plan, site clearance and rehabilitation plan, environmental and social monitoring plan, workers accommodation plan, sexual exploitation and abuse prevention and response plan and local recruitment plan.

Contractor/sub-contractors, including the EPC contractor, will be contractually bound to follow applicable E&S requirements, including IFC PS and WBG EHS Guidelines, and implement those portions of the ESMS that fall within its scope of work as described in the draft framework ESMS.

As part of the design phase of the project, a Project Environmental Design Criteria (EDC) Document will also be prepared as per ESAP #2. This EDC Document will list all quantitative (numeric) and qualitative standards to be complied with by the EPC contractor or other vendors when designing different components of the plant, such as, air emissions limits, wastewater discharges, noise levels, secondary containment requirements, among others. Similarly, the EDC Document will list all standards that the plant operator will be required to comply with. The project adopted standards will be based on the most stringent among applicable national requirements, IFC PS and WBG guidelines.

As outlined in ESAP #3, the EPC contractor will be required to develop and implement its own Construction ESMS, inclusive of policy statements, management and monitoring measures and aspect-specific management plans applicable to the EPC activities and tailored to the construction methodology, engineering design and commissioning phase of the project. The structure and content of the EPC contractor’s ESMS will be fully aligned with the sponsor’s ESMS and with the adopted project specific standards. The EPC contractor’s ESMS will include the necessary level of detail to enable the sponsor and external auditors to verify adherence to the specified design criteria and management measures. Roles and responsibilities for construction E&S staff will also be outlined in the construction ESMS. 

ENERSOK will operate the plant after construction and commissioning. Therefore, as per ESAP #4, before commissioning, ENERSOK will develop and implement Operations Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) acceptable to IFC and consistent with the project ESMS, ESIA, IFC PS, WBG EHS Guidelines and national requirements. The content of the Operations ESMPs will reflect final equipment details, plant processes and operational schedule.

ENERSOK will liaise with the owners of the project’s Associated Facilities and will endeavor to ensure construction and operation of the AFs is consistent with the project ESMS.

Identification of Risks and Impacts

To meet lenders’ requirements, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the project has been prepared (disclosed along with this ESRS) and it addresses relevant E&S risks and impacts at an appropriate level of detail and outlines relevant mitigation measures.

The ESIA also evaluated the cumulative impacts due to operation of the Syrdarya 1 IPP project and the Syrdarya TPP in the vicinity of the project.

A climate risk assessment has also been carried out as part of the ESIA, based on SSP5-8.85 climate change projections developed by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The assessment concludes that climate related risks on the project are not expected to be significant due to the design of the plant and other mitigants to address temperature related constraints and risks.

A gap analysis of the ESIA was conducted by the IESC, which identified that the risk assessment process for the project is generally compliant with IFCs PSs.  However, as outlined in ESAP item #5, ENERSOK will identify further mitigation of water and wastewater aspects, noise management, community health and safety and landscape aspects.  The final version of the ESIA will be disclosed by lenders and ENERSOK.

Stage 1 of the National (Uzbek) EIA has been approved while Stage 2 and 3 approvals will be sought by ENERSOK from the local regulatory authorities before commissioning. ENERSOK will obtain these approvals and other local permits from relevant authorities, before construction or operation as necessary.

Organizational Capacity and Competency

ENERSOK currently has a limited number of staff as a recently established company and lack E&S staff, this role currently being undertaken by the sponsor E&S teams. As per ESAP item #6, ENERSOK will engage a qualified Environment, Social, Health and Safety (ESHS) Manager who will have overall responsibility for environmental and social management as well as occupational health and safety (OHS). He/she will also be responsible for compliance with permit conditions and project E&S standards, and implementation of the ESMS and for selecting and coordinating the ESHS team, which will include environmental, social and OHS specialists.

ENERSOK’s ESHS team will be responsible for ensuring that the EPC contractor and its subcontractors are in compliance with E&S requirements. Oversight during construction will be provided by the Owner’s Engineer (OE), who will be retained prior to commencement of construction. During construction, ENERSOK will contractually delegate responsibility for day-to-day ESHS management and compliance to the EPC contractor, who will therefore be required to have suitably qualified staff in place. The EPC contractor will engage an Environment, Social, Health and Safety  (ESHS) Manager for construction who will have overall responsibility for, implementation of the ESMS (including OHS aspects) and ensure oversight of sub-contractors. The EPC contractor will appoint needed qualified ESHS staff for construction as outlined in the construction ESMS and ensure sub-contractors are also suitably staffed on E&S (ESAP #6).

During operation of the plant ENERSOK will retain ESHS staff to perform day to day inspections and reporting. The final structure of the ESHS functions during operation will be finalized prior to commissioning the plant and will be documented in the final version of the ENERSOK’s Operations ESMP (ESAP #4).

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans (EPRPs) will be prepared as part of the construction and operations ESMS (ESAP 1 and 3), which will cover works on the project site and along the access road. The EPRPs will address plant risks and community risks. Responsibility for its enforcement will apply to ENERSOK’s personnel, EPC staff members and subcontractors’ employees. This will be complemented by Pollution Prevention and Response Plans (for construction and operation), which will identify site- specific requirements for the prevention of pollution (i.e. oil spills) and how to manage pollution incidents.

The EPRPs will identify contingencies for a variety of potential emergency situations relevant to construction, commissioning and operations, including accidental leaks and spills, explosions and fires, vehicle accidents, natural hazards, security events, as well as responding to communicable diseases. The EPRPs will outline the response mechanisms, roles, responsibilities, training and equipment requirements, internal and external communication mechanisms.

Monitoring and Review

ENERSOK and the EPC contractor will undertake regular E&S monitoring to demonstrate compliance with lender requirements for environment, social, occupational health and safety as well as national environmental standards, including permit requirements, and lenders’ requirements. E&S Monitoring Plans will be developed as part of the construction ESMS (ESAP #3) and operations ESMPs (ESAP #4), which will include clear responsibilities on monitoring activities and parameters to be monitored; monitoring locations; methods and frequency of monitoring; and criteria against which compliance and performance will be assessed. As part of the project ESMS, an Environment, Health, Safety and Social Incident Reporting Procedure will also be developed and implemented to maintain records of monitoring, accidents and incidents (including near misses).  

ENERSOK and the EPC contractor will be responsible for day-to-day monitoring during construction, and bi-annual monitoring reports will be shared with the lenders. Once construction is complete, ENERSOK will implement the monitoring plan outlined in the Operation ESMS. activities During operation the project will be required to submit annual E&S monitoring reports to IFC.

Independent monitoring of environment, health and safety, labor and social aspects of construction activities will be undertaken on a regular basis during construction. As per national legislation, the relevant government authority will also monitor the project at least annually. To ensure effective and appropriate monitoring, all relevant E&S Monitoring Plans, including frequency of sampling and reporting, will be defined in project’s ESMS (ESAP #1) for the EPC contractor to comply.

Contractors and sub-contractors management

The selected EPC contractor has been made aware of the E&S requirements associated with the project through the tender documentation, which included the E&S requirements stipulated in the PPA and detailed in the technical annexes to the Request for Proposals.

After award of contract, the EPC Contractor’s obligations with respect to E&S performance will be regulated by i) the inclusion of national and lender E&S requirements in key project contracts and ii) E&S monitoring and oversight by ENERSOK throughout the pre-mobilisation and construction phase. The EPC Contract refers to the following E&S Requirements: 

• the requirements of the EIA and the ESIA;

• E&S Laws and any other applicable Legal Requirements relating to pollution control and environmental standards;

• International E&S Standards ;

• Construction Environmental and Social Management Plan (CESMP) which define the EPC Contractor's obligations. The EPC contractor will be provided with the ESIA and CESMP for full transparency prior to signature of the EPC Contract. 

As per ESAP #7, ENERSOK will incorporate the requirements for Environment, Social, Health and Safety (ESHS) management into an EPC Contractor E&S management Plan (CMP) documents and the EPC contractor will do the same for its sub-contractors, The CMPs will outline the process of incorporating project E&S requirements into the contractors’ work and legal terms the process to follow to adequately select, hire and manage contractors and subcontractors.                                                   

Working Conditions, Management of Worker Relationship and Terms of Employment 

The project workforce is expected to reach approximately 2,150 workers at the peak of construction (23 months from the start). One third of the workers are expected to be sourced locally, largely from the nearby districts of Shirin Town and Boyovut, as well as from other regions of Uzbekistan. Remaining workers will be foreign workers, mainly from China. The construction phase is expected to last 36 months.

During operations, the average workforce is expected to comprise approximately 67 people.  

For the construction phase of the project, the EPC Contractor will develop a Local Recruitment Plan aligned with the requirements of the ESIA (ESAP #3). For the operational phase, human resources and hiring procedures are to be developed by ENERSOK as part of the Operations ESMS (ESAP #4). The Local Recruitment Plans will include a strategy to prioritize both construction and operational stage employment from the primarily affected communities, economically and physically displaced people, and workers affected from potential future lay-off due to any future downsizing of the Syrdarya TPP.

ENERSOK will ensure that all employees, including contractor and sub-contractor employees will be provided with a written contract of employment prior to commencing work. As per ESAP #8, ENERSOK will prepare a sample employment contract in line with the requirements of national legislation and PS2, including, but not limited to the following items: working hours (including provisions for overtime), contract duration, salary, annual leave, dismissal process, responsibilities of the employee (including responsibilities related to environment, health and safety), responsibilities of the employer and right of workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Human Resources Policies and Procedures, Grievance Mechanism

ENERSOK will develop and implement a human resource policy that is compliant to statutory as well as lenders requirement, as stipulated in the ESMS framework. In accordance with this policy, an overarching labor and working conditions policy and associated procedures including right to form and join workers’ organizations, non-discrimination and equal opportunity, prevention of any form of forced labor, child labor and GBVH, will be prepared for the project in line with the requirements of PS2 prior to the start of construction (ESAP#3). A worker grievance mechanism will also be established prior to start of construction and will enable workers to submit grievances anonymously and confidentially (ESAP #1 and #3).  

ENERSOK currently has a Human Resources Manager. The EPC contractor will appoint a suitably qualified Human Resources Manager (or similar), having experience with international labor standards, to ensure implementation of the human resources policies and procedures and the worker grievance mechanism (ESAP  #6).

The Local Recruitment Plan of the project that will be prepared as part of ESMS should include an overall staffing plan, indicating the number of staff and type of jobs expected (and announced locally) throughout different stages of the construction phase, and outline the tasks which will be undertaken by sub-contractors (ESAP #1). The ESMS will also include a workforce demobilization plan to guide demobilization process at the end of the construction phase (ESAP #1 and #3).  

Workers Engaged by Third Parties

Use of third-party intermediaries is only allowed by prior approval of ENERSOK, as per the EPC Contractor E&S management Plan (CMP) requirements. The EPC contractor will require its sub-contractors to develop and implement workplace rules, processes and procedures in line with the project’s human resources, OHS and environmental policies and procedures (ESAP #7). ENERSOK will commission quarterly labor and working conditions audit of the construction workforce, including all contractors and sub-contractors (ESAP #9).

Workers’ Accommodation

The EPC contractor will have a temporary workers’ camp on the project site during the construction phase, which is expected to host around 1,100 workers. Additional offsite workers’ accommodation will also be required at the peak of construction activities, mainly for some of the construction subcontractors. No on-site accommodation is expected for the operational phase.

As per ESAP #3, the EPC contractor will prepare a Workers’ Accommodation Plan in line with the requirements of the IFC / EBRD Worker Accommodation Guidelines. The Plan will include mitigations to protect workers from construction related noise and dust impacts. Any sub-contractors that have temporary accommodation (including in-town accommodation) will be required to apply the provisions of the Workers’ Accommodation Plan to their accommodation. The plan will also include rules and measures to minimize any disturbance to local communities.

Protecting the Work Force

Human resources policies and procedures will clearly indicate that the minimum age of employment for the project is 18 years of age in line with the requirements of the national Labor Code (1996). Forced labor is prohibited by the Labor Code. The project’s HR policy, which will be included in the overarching ESMS (ESAP #1), will include statements to prevent any form of child labor and forced labor associated to the project, to be periodically reviewed by labor audits as specified above.

Supply Chain

During the operational phase of the project, ENERSOK will map all maintenance contractors and all the primary suppliers of services and equipment, and prepare a Supply Chain Management Procedure to ensure that OHS and other labor requirements (i.e. avoidance of child labor and forced labor etc.) are cascaded to the primary supply chain (ESAP#4). 

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

Potential OHS risks and impacts are outlined in the ESIA and include workers’ exposure to noise, heat and dust, as well as risks related to construction works (structural, electrical and mechanical), delivery of basic services (food and sanitation), vehicular traffic and contingencies (chemical spills, fire etc.).

The EPC Contractor is ISO45001 certified and will develop a project-specific OHS policy, which may be incorporated into an overarching HR/E&S Policy for the project. 

As part of the Construction ESMS (ESAP #3) the EPC Contractor will develop management plans and procedures, such as the delivery and development of trainings for direct and indirect workers, emergency response, reporting and management of incidents and accidents, inspections and sub-contractor audits, permit to work system, work at height, confined spaces, LOTO procedures, etc. EPC contractor is required to report accident statistics and KPIs on a regular basis to be shared with company’s Board.  The OHS management plans for operation will be based on the assessment of key risks from the operation of the plant,, including modification, substitution, or elimination of hazardous conditions or substances, provision and enforcement of appropriate equipment to minimize risks, training of workers,  documentation and reporting of occupational accidents, diseases and incidents, emergency prevention, preparedness and response arrangements.                                                   

GHG Emissions 

It is anticipated that the project’s carbon intensity during operation will be an average of 343 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour (gCO2eq/kWh), which will equate to overall yearly emissions in the region of 4,000,000 tonnes of CO2e/year.

The design of the plant is based on Best Available Technology and has been significantly optimized with respect to GHG emissions, based on the guidance and criteria provided by in the BREF Document (2017).

In view of the estimated emissions of GHG ENERSOK will develop a GHG accounting and reporting system. GHG emissions accounting will be undertaken on an annual basis and provided to the lenders as part of the Annual Monitoring Report as well as publicly disclosed (ESAP #10). 

Water Consumption and Efficiency

The YG Canal is the only source of water that will be used for the project. The YG canal is an irrigation canal fed through a weir that allows water from the Farhad derivation canal to flow into the YG canal. The inflow into the YG canal is regulated by the Ministry of Water Resources and its regional agency for the purpose of providing water for irrigation to approximately 350,000 ha of farmland. 

The Project will require minimal water use during the construction phase. During operation, based on the current design, 1,381m3/h (0.38m3/sec) of water will be required with a peak demand during summer months of approximately 2,160m3/h (0.6 m3/sec). Based on information received from the Ministry of Water Resources, the average flow of water in the YG canal is 200m3/sec with peaks that are dictated by water demand for irrigation and minimum flows associated with times when no irrigation is required and/or maintenance works are carried out in the canal or at the weir. Compared to the average flow, the demand of water for the plant during normal and peak times is 0.2% and 0.3% of the canal flow, which is considered negligible. Moreover, the Plant will discharge treated water back to the canal at an estimated rate of between 357m3/h to 562m3/h.

Minimum flow into the canal to sustain all water users, including the Project and the Syrdarya 1 IPP, will be ensured by the operator of the intake from the Syrdarya/Farhad water bodies to the YG canal.

Air Emissions

During construction, the primary emissions will be dust and particulate matter. These are expected to be addressed through mitigation measures (for instance dust suppression, management of vehicle loads and speeds). During operation the primary sources of air emissions will include nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), emitted during the gas combustion process. There is also potential for ammonia (NH3) emissions (referred to as ammonia slip) from the proposed Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) process. The project includes modern combustion technology including low NOx burners, to ensure emission are reduced. Additional measures such as the use of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) in combined cycle operations will further minimize NOx emissions to ensure compliance with applicable emissions standards (Uzbekistan, WBG EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants) and with guidance for good practice, as provided in the  BAT BREF Document (2017) Section 7.1.3, Techniques to Consider in the Determination of BAT for the Combustion of Natural Gas in Boilers/Engines/Gas Turbines.

Air dispersion modelling carried out as part of the ESIA predicts that for project combined cycle operations, the long-term NO2, NO, NH3 and CO PECs at the sensitive locations are all below the relevant standards. The impact of the emissions on long term concentrations is predicted to be insignificant. Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) will be installed in all stacks (ESAP # 11) to ensure that emissions remain within the allowable limits outlined in the IFC EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants, national regulations and summarized in the Project Standards (EDC) Document as part of the ESMS (ESAP #2). In addition, periodic ambient air quality monitoring will be carried out during construction, and during operation, to confirm that the project air quality impacts are in line with both national and international standards and guidelines.  

Taking into consideration the cumulative impacts from operation of ACWA Power Sirdarya 1 IPP as well as the Syrdarya TPP (operating with eight units), the predicted long-term NO2, NO and CO concentrations at the sensitive locations are all below the relevant project adopted standards. The impact of the emissions on long term concentrations is predicted to be insignificant.

Noise

The nearest receptors to the Project include a farmhouse cluster approximately 70m from the western boundary of the Project and properties in the community of Sarmich, further to the west (290m from the Project’s western boundary).

According to noise modelling carried out as part of the ESIA, noise at these receptors is modelled to exceed applicable night-time standards of 45dB(A) from the Project alone without including background noise levels. Noise levels at these locations are modelled to be marginally higher when incorporating the ACWA Power Syrdarya IPP CCGT.

If monitoring activities indicate the potential for exceedance, relevant mitigation measures for the construction phase (noise barriers, exhaust silencers, mufflers, etc.) and the operation phase (noise barriers, acoustic insulation at the receptors, etc.) will be put in place to ensure that noise levels are brought within the IFC/WBG EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants as well as Uzbek regulations. In addition, a noise management and monitoring plan will be developed for construction and operation as outlined in (ESAP #1, 3 and 4).

Wastewater

The project design incorporates several wastewater treatment plants to ensure that wastewater generated on-site is subject to appropriate treatment prior to re-use or discharge to the YG Canal. This includes treatment plants for industrial & process wastewater, sanitary wastewater and stormwater. Sanitary wastewater will be collected and treated in a dedicated sanitary treatment plant onsite, where the effluent will be either used for irrigation or discharged into the canal via the outfall after treatment. Clean stormwater runoff will also be discharged to the canal via the outfall, alongside treated stormwater from process areas of the site. The plant wastewater treatment system is currently designed to ensure that all effluent discharged into the canal will comply with WBG/IFC Guidelines for Thermal Power Plants and with the requirements of the PPA, both of which include chemical parameters and temperature. The operational permit of the facility, which is yet to be issued, will include water discharge standards that may differ from the current design standards. In such eventuality, the most stringent requirements will be adopted and any required design changes will be managed through the EPC contract.

Waste and hazardous materials

Hazardous materials, which are expected to primarily include oil and fuel, will be stored in designated areas in accordance with the national requirements and standards, relevant WBG EHS Guidelines and good practices guidelines to prevent any spillage on the site. 

The project will generate both non-hazardous and hazardous waste. Non-hazardous waste will mostly include general solid waste, organic food waste and packaging waste, while hazardous waste will mostly include used lubricant oil, spent air filter cartridges, and spent oil filter cartridges. Used oil and oily materials will be collected on site and then removed in drums for controlled disposal. Waste management plans will be developed for both the construction and operation phase, which will apply the waste hierarchy (prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, disposal) and will be aligned with the requirements of the WBG EHS Guidelines to develop needed management and mitigation measures (ESAP #1, #3 and #4). The sponsor will undertake analysis of available and suitable facilities and review actions by adjacent ACWA Power Sirdarya 1 IPP to inform the management plans.                                                     

The project location is in close proximity to some residential clusters, with a large amount of agricultural activities at and near the project footprint. The canal which will be used for project water needs and for discharging effluent is used by others for irrigation of agricultural fields in the wider region. There are some residential receptors close to the project site, with the closest buildings located just about 75m from the northern part of the project site boundary. Other nearby residential receptors include the Sarmich Community and Vatanparvar Community (approximately 400m).

Impacts relating to the local community in terms of air quality, noise, wastewater, waste etc., have been addressed in specific chapters of the ESIA and summarized in relevant sections of this ESRS. Appropriate measures will be developed as part of the project ESMSs (ESAP #1, 3) to manage and mitigate identified risks and meet national and PS requirements. The project is required (by national legislation) to establish a 300 m health protection zone around the main stacks and the switching gear. There are currently no sensitive receptors residing within the 300 m radius of the proposed stacks and switching gear.  A household that is located adjacent to the planned access road is expected to be disproportionately affected by construction adverse impacts and as such proposed to be resettled as discussed under PS5 section. Other three houses as close as 75 meter to project’s perimeter at the north, currently are not required to be resettled, to be confirmed after completion of HAZOP/ Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) studies that will be performed as part of the detailed engineering phase and will form the basis for the project’s operational EPRP.

Community health and safety issues associated with the construction and operation of the project include unauthorized access to project sites, road safety and traffic impacts, stress on community health services, impacts associated with influx of the project workforce, potential impacts on community water resource use and emergency situations.

Community Health and Safety  

Mitigation measures identified in the ESIA include that all high-risk areas including fuel storage areas will be secured with internal fencing and will be patrolled by security throughout the day and night. During both construction and operation, only authorized workers will be allowed to enter the site.

Road traffic accidents and negative traffic impacts will be minimized through driver training, enforcement of speed limits and regular maintenance of project vehicles. The EPC contractor will prepare a Traffic and Transportation Management Plan as part of their ESMS, which will include a requirement for carrying out a risk assessment of routes to be used for transportation of equipment, material and workers and put in place necessary measures to manage and mitigate these risks (ESAP 3). 

A large proportion of the required construction workforce will be sourced from outside the project area and housed at an on-site workers’ camp for the duration of the construction phase. The influx of migrant workers and, possibly, other groups of people in search of economic opportunities, may lead to a number of adverse social impacts. The EPC Contractor will develop a Worker Influx Management Plan (ESAP #3) to provide a clear set of actions that will be undertaken for the management and mitigation, monitoring and evaluation of impacts related to worker influx in the project area. Furthermore, a SEA prevention and response plan will be prepared for the project (ESAP #1 and 3). This should include a GBVH risk assessment to be done by a competent professional, outlining prevention measures such as awareness raising trainings both for workers and communities, Code of Conduct and suitable grievance mechanism to report and handle any GBVH claims.

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) for the project’s construction and operational phases will address community requirements and vulnerabilities, and measures that would be implemented in case of accidents (ESAP #3 and #4). The ESRP will include provisions for actions to support community stakeholders in planning, responding and recovering from communicable diseases.

As discussed in the section above, water abstractions for the project and ACWA Power Sirdarya 1 IPP together  are not expected to significantly affect communities’ use of water resources because flow in the canal will be regulated by the relevant government agencies to cater for the combined needs of the power plants and other users of the canal. Construction works will take into consideration any potential effects on domestic groundwater abstractions and specific mitigation measures will be applied, if required.

A Community Health and Safety Management Plan both for constructions and operations will be prepared as per ESAP #12, to ensure impacts to neighboring communities from construction, plant operations and AFs are assessed, and mitigations are identified accordingly. Furthermore, as per ESAP #13, the EPC contract will include i) provisions for ongoing maintenance and repairs to existing roads, which will most likely be extensively damaged as a result of transportation of heavy loads during construction of the project, ii) requirements to establish a medical clinic (with 24/7 doctors and nurses) and suitable equipment for general diagnostics and patient stabilization within the labor camp, minimizing the need to put any pressure on community health services.

Security Personnel

During construction, the EPC contractor will retain a private security contractor to provide round the clock security, and during operations, ENERSOK will employ site-based security personnel. Other security measures will include fencing of the site, use of Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV), pre-approval of vehicles permitted to enter the site and restricted access to construction workers based on valid ID cards.  A Security Risk Assessment, and a Security Management Plan will be prepared for the project to address any findings of the risk assessment (ESAP #1 and 3). The plan will be aligned with IFC’s Good Practice Handbook on the Use of Security Forces: Assessing and Managing Risks and Impacts. The security personnel will be regularly trained on GBVH code of conduct.                                                   

Stakeholder consultations were conducted as part of the ESIA using official consultative letters, semi-Structured Interviews (SSIs) (in-person and phone-based), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), meetings and brochures. Series of public consultation meetings were held between May and June 2020 in the affected communities as part of wider stakeholder engagement program organized conjointly for Syrdarya 1 CCGT. A Stakeholder Engagement Plan consistent with PS1 has been developed as part of the ESIA and consultations have been carried out with relevant project affected persons, local government authorities, national ministries, among others. The project will undertake pre-construction stakeholder engagement and information disclosure activities as outlined in the SEP, starting from the most impacted communities and submit relevant evidence to IFC (ESAP #16).

Enersok will lead construction and commissioning related engagement processes supported by the  EPC Contractor.. This will be reflected in project’s and EPC’s ESMS accordingly (ESAP#1 and #3). Stakeholder engagement during the operational phase of the project will be the responsibility of ENERSOK. As per ESAP #15, the projectwill appoint a suitably qualified community liaison team to be able to implement the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, LALRP, Community Grievance Mechanism and other key community related management plans.

During operations, ENERSOK will have a CLO on-board to continue managing stakeholder engagement activities.

External Communication, Grievance Mechanisms and Ongoing Reporting to Affected Communities 

A Grievance Redress Mechanism consistent with PS1 has been prepared as part of the ESIA and was communicated to local communities during public consultation meetings and through distributed brochures.

During construction, the EPC Contractor will manage grievances, with oversight by ENERSOK. ENERSOK will remain responsible with support from the EPC Contractor to manage external grievances. During operational phase, ENERSOK will manage internal and external grievances.

ENERSOK will publicly disclose all key E&S assessment and management documents, including the Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Grievance Management Plan, on the project website in English, Russian and Uzbek and regularly inform affected communities of project progress.                                                   

1. Name: Raihona Abdujabborova

Title: General Director

Address: ENERSOK FE LLC, 95a, Minor mahalla, Amir Temur avenue, Yunsusabad district, Tashkent city, Uzbekistan.

Email: raihona.abdujabborova@enersok.uz

2. Name: Madusanka Sameera

Title Technical & Operation Specialist

Address: Mirai Power Europe Limited, Suite 221 Orega, 70 Gracechurch Street, London, EC3V 0HR, UK.

Email: madusanka.sameera@sojitz.com