Sources of project finance and work methods for the development of investment projects will be introduced to the sub-regional network (WP4) focussing on a selection of specific projects proposals prepared by national participating institutions. Information and advisory services on investment project preparation and financing modalities will be provided. Investment project proposals formulated as business plans that meet with agreed financial and environmental criteria will be promoted to relevant international financial institutions, commercial banks, targeted funds and energy service companies (ESCOs). 

The promotion of investment project finance is an integral component of the project and this will be achieved through the provision of a training course comprising a series of three workshops of one-week duration each. These workshops will serve to train a group of experts from each of the Central Asia countries on the development of energy efficiency projects for improved air quality management and deployment of appropriate clean coal combustion technologies for heat and power generation from solid fuels. National Coordinators will select projects on the basis of criteria elaborated by the workshop trainers, who will in turn assist the chosen experts to be responsible for implementation of these project in the future. Some 10-12 experts from Central Asia will be invited to participate. Business plans prepared by the experts will be posted to the web site to be created during the implementation of WP4. 

The training course will include the following elements: 

• Study of modern low-cost, fast payback clean coal combustion technologies; 

• Study of energy inspection methods for energy installations in order to evaluate efficiency of using solid fuels for heat and electric power generation and their impact on the environment; and 

• Development of investment projects on modernization and rehabilitation of operational energy and utility installations, including the development of their concept, feasibility studies and business plans meeting the criteria of national and international financial and environmental institutions. 

Further, the training course will be broken down into the following modules: 

• Lecture courses; 

• Consultations during preparation of projects (including taking technical decisions, financial analysis of the project, Feasibility Studies and Business Plans); 

• Practical aspects (financial analysis of the project, utilization of specific software), and 

• Interaction with the students between training sessions will be maintained via internet communications. 55. Specific criteria will be identified for selection of the workshop trainers and detailed Terms of Reference established for execution of the workshops. 

This WP will specifically result in: 

• Enhanced capacity of the Central Asian economies to identify and develop investment projects for the introduction of low cost, fast payback clean coal technologies for the heat and power generation sector in sub-region. 
  

• Greater awareness of the modalities of project finance, guarantee mechanisms and sources of investment available for reducing air pollution emissions through the introduction of energy efficiency measures and common best practice clean coal technologies.