Energy saving measures in a sewing shop help workers become more productive

The Kyrgyzstan Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (KyrSEFF) helped a small sewing shop gain a foothold in the garment industry by increasing its energy savings and improving working conditions.

Makhabat Matayeva owns a sewing shop in Bishkek, which employs more than 30 people. The production is mostly exported to Russia and Kazakhstan. Against the background of growing demand and competition, the entrepreneur realized that it is necessary to increase production capacity, with an emphasis on energy saving.

For more than ten years, Mrs Matayeva rented premises for the workshop. This meant additional costs and extra effort to ensure a comfortable working environment for her employees.  In 2019, Mrs Matayeva learned about KyrSEFF and decided to invest in the energy-efficient renovation of her own premises to be turned into a workshop.

Cooperation between Makhabat Matayeva and KyrSEFF started with a consultation on available modern green technologies and the evaluation of her project. Based on these consultations, the KyrSEFF engineers recommended carrying out insulation of the whole building in order to achieve maximum benefits from energy-saving. This included thermal insulation of the walls, floor and ceiling, as well as the installation of energy efficient windows and a high efficiency gas boiler.

Makhabat Matayeva received a US$ 14,300 loan for energy-saving measures from Optima Bank, one of KyrSEFF partner banks. This investment, which has a payback period of 5 years, is expected to save 56.4 MWh of energy annually, and reduce CO2 emissions by 56.4 tonnes per year. For the successful implementation of resource saving measures, the sewing shop will receive a grant of US$ 2,860 from the European Union.

“Due to premises being rented, we often had to focus on solving household problems, such as providing heat or lighting for employees, instead of producing and expanding the range of clothing, and increasing the customer base. We were anxious that the landlords might unexpectedly terminate the contract. Now that we moved into our new warm and bright building, the workers are very happy, and can focus on work. We also plan to create recreation areas for them in the future,” said Makhabat Matayeva.

This is just one example among more than 175 enterprises and organizations that have benefited from KyrSEFF’s support in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Kyrgyzstan Sustainable Energy FinancingFacility (KyrSEFF) was developed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and established in 2013, with a total portfolio of US$ 55 million. To reward the successful implementation of energy saving measures through KyrSEFF, beneficiaries receive grants ranging from 10 to 35% from the total investment, and free technical support financed by the European Union (EC-IFCA).