ENERGO: UAE's Masdar to build two 220-MW solar plants in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s Energy Ministry has announced the signing of project agreements with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar) for two 220-MW photovoltaic (PV) solar plants in the Jizzakh and Samarkand regions.

In May, Masdar was awarded the two $300mn projects after an open tender overseen by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

According to the newly signed project agreements, Masdar will produce power for the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan at record low tariffs of $1.791/kWh for the Samarkand site and at $1.823/kWh for the Jizzakh site, for a 25-year period.

The construction of the projects is set to start in Q1 2022.

Alisher Sultanov, Minister of Energy, said: “Uzbekistan has been working closely with the IFC to open up the country’s power sector to private investment and to help us reach our goal of 25% of energy consumption deriving from renewable sources by 2030. These projects are key components in our ambitious strategy to develop environmentally friendly renewable sources of energy to meet our growing electricity demand.”

The projects are part of a wider scheme between the Uzbek government and the IFC to develop up to 900 MW of solar energy through public-private partnerships.

The plants will also contribute to the government’s plan to develop 8 GW of solar and wind capacity by 2030. Once implemented, they will help to develop Uzbekistan’s huge solar potential, assist in reducing annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 500,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and generate an additional 1,100mn kWh of electricity.