- Uzbekistan has acquired funding for the construction of its 500 MW wind farm.
- The farm is to be developed by Masdar and is expected to become commercially operational by the end of 2024.
The Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan has acquired funding to construct its 500 MW wind farm. The farm is to be developed by Masdar, a renewables major from the UAE, and located in the Navoiy region of Uzbekistan. The Zarafshan project is expected to draw more than USD 600 million (EUR 597.96m) in foreign direct investment.
Upon becoming commercially operational by the end of 2024, the facility will become the largest wind farm in Central Asia, having the capacity to power 500,000 homes and cover 1.1 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, according to the ministry.
“Today, we took a leap forward in securing Uzbekistan’s clean energy future – together with our valued partner Masdar. […] Our country has vowed to satisfy 25% of its energy needs with renewables by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality in 2050. The Zarafshan project, Central Asia’s largest wind farm, will be a major contributor to these goals,” said the country’s First Deputy Energy Minister Azim Akhmedkhadjayev.
On Masdar’s part, the wind project is the second utility-scale scheme that the company is developing in Uzbekistan. The company developed the 100 MW Nur Navoiy solar power plant the previous year. The UAE-based company also has contracts to develop 890 MW solar projects in the Samarkand, Jizzakh and Sherabad regions.
Under its long-term strategy, Uzbekistan aims to have 8 GW of solar and wind power by 2026 and 12 GW of green energy capacity by 2030 as it seeks to diversify its energy mix and meet increasing demand.