Masdar starts construction of first wind farm in Uzbekistan 

Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, has signed an Implementation Agreement with the Government of Uzbekistan to extend the capacity of its utility-scale wind farm project to up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW).

Alisher Sultanov, Energy Minister of Uzbekistan, said that the government values the partnership with Masdar and welcomes this expansion, which will be the largest facility of its kind in the region. 

“This is a very important project for Uzbekistan, helping us build towards our target of 25 percent of electricity generated by renewables by 2030,” Sultanov noted.

The UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei stated that the agreement will enhance cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates in the field of renewable energy. 

“As signatories to the Paris Agreement, Uzbekistan and the UAE are committed to driving collective action on climate. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Uzbekistan further by developing more clean energy projects with them in the future,” he said.

Masdar entered into bilateral agreements with the Government of Uzbekistan last year to develop, build and operate the 500-megawatt (MW) wind farm project, its second utility-scale clean energy project in the country, and the largest wind farm in Central Asia. The project will attract foreign direct investment of more than $600 million.

Extending the capacity of the project, located in the Zarafshan district of Navoi region, to as much as 1.5 GW will further help Uzbekistan achieve its objectives of adding up to 3 GW of wind energy and meeting 25 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by the end of the decade.

The 500 MW Zarafshan wind farm is expected to begin commercial operation by the end of 2024. At a capacity of 500 MW, the project would provide enough electricity to power 500,000 homes, while displacing 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Masdar signed the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Investment Agreement for the Zarafshan wind farm with the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan and JSC National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan in June last year.