"source" Signed an agreement to develop the largest independent energy storage battery project in Uzbekistan

ABU DHABI, 11 November / WAM / Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar”, a global leader in the field of clean energy, signed an agreement for battery energy storage services with “GSC Ozynergosutech”, a joint stock company owned by the government of Uzbekistan, as part of the development of the “Zravshan” project, which is the largest independent project for an energy storage battery system in the country.

The “Zarafshan” project represents the first phase of a national program for energy storage with batteries, and comes in the wake of the agreement concluded by “Masdar” in December 2023 with both the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan to develop battery systems for energy storage with a capacity of up to 575 MW / 1.15 GWh in various parts of the country.

The first phase includes a storage system with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts/600 megawatt-hours of electricity, which is enough to supply about 1.3 million homes with electricity for two hours. The project will be connected to the Moronau substation, while the second phase will include expanding the “Zarafshan” facility by adding a storage system with a similar capacity of “300 megawatts/600 megawatt-hours.”

When the “Zarafshan” project enters into operation in the third quarter of 2028, it will contribute to enhancing the reliability and flexibility of the electricity network in Uzbekistan, and support its goal of generating 54 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and achieving the goals of climate neutrality in the long term.

In the presence of His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and His Excellency Jorabek Mirzamamudov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the agreement was signed by Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, and Jahongir Obidjonov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ozenergosutech, in Abu Dhabi.

His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei said that the UAE is proud of the active role of its world-leading company, Masdar, in spreading clean energy solutions and contributing to supporting our partners around the world to accelerate a qualitative shift in the energy system.

He explained that the Zravshan project for an energy storage battery system is an important step to enhance the reliability of the electrical grid in Uzbekistan and expand the scope of integrating renewable energy solutions into its national energy system, which is consistent with the UAE’s vision of building a diversified and sustainable energy future.

He pointed out that this cooperation embodies the strength of relations between the two countries, and the shared commitment to developing practical and scalable solutions that contribute to enhancing global energy security and reducing carbon emissions.

For his part, His Excellency Jorabek Mirzamoudov said that recent years have witnessed a significant development in the friendly and cooperative relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, noting that during the visit of His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev last January, Uzbek-Emirati relations were raised to the level of a strategic partnership, and within the framework of this partnership, large-scale projects are being implemented aimed at expanding the development of the green energy sector in Uzbekistan in cooperation with Emirati companies.

Specifically, in cooperation with Masdar, five solar power plants with a total capacity of 1,247 MW, a wind power plant with a capacity of 500 MW, and a battery system for energy storage with a capacity of 63 MW were launched over the past years. A 300 MW solar photovoltaic power plant is also currently being built.

Mirzamamoudov added: “We seek to strengthen constructive cooperation with Masdar through the implementation of our next joint project of a battery energy storage system with a capacity of 300 MW/600 MWh, which will contribute significantly to connecting large-scale renewable energy solutions to the national grid, and support the continued development of the energy sector in Uzbekistan.”

For his part, Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi said that the Zaravshan project represents an important milestone that contributes to supporting Uzbekistan’s efforts to achieve a qualitative shift in the energy sector, pointing out that Masdar’s global leadership is embodied in energy storage projects, thanks to its experience extending for more than two decades in developing and operating renewable energy assets and large-scale storage projects, while looking forward to developing this project in a way that contributes effectively to advancing sustainable economic growth in Uzbekistan.

For his part, Jahongir Obidjonov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ozenergosuch, said that the launch of this huge project in cooperation with Masdar will contribute significantly to achieving Uzbekistan’s ambitious goals of transitioning towards reliance on green energy.

The new project represents an important addition to Masdar’s growing projects in Uzbekistan, which have a total capacity of 2 gigawatts, with investments exceeding two billion US dollars.

Masdar will also develop additional clean energy projects with a capacity of 2 GW, as well as plans to expand the energy storage facility in Zaravshan with an additional capacity of 300 MW/600 MWh, in support of Uzbekistan’s goal of generating 20 GW of renewable energy by 2030, and in line with Masdar’s goal of raising the production capacity of its project portfolio to 100 GW by 2030.

It is noteworthy that Masdar plays an active role in employing innovation in large-scale energy storage projects in the world. Last October, the company announced the laying of the foundation stone for the development of the first and largest renewable energy project of its kind in the world, which includes a 5.2 gigawatt solar photovoltaic power station equipped with an energy storage battery system with a capacity of 19 gigawatts per hour, to provide one gigawatt of clean baseload energy around the clock. Upon completion, the project will become the largest and most advanced energy storage system. Of its kind in the world.

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