The President of Uzbekistan witnesses the inauguration of an energy project developed by it "source"

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Tashkent, 8 December / WAM / His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, witnessed the inauguration of the Noor Bukhara project, the first integrated utility-scale solar energy and battery storage system project in the country, which was developed by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar”, a global leader in the field of clean energy.

His Excellency the Uzbek President also witnessed the official ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the “Guzar” photovoltaic solar energy project developed by Masdar, with a production capacity of 300 megawatts and equipped with a battery system for energy storage with a capacity of 75 megawatts/hour, during an event held in the capital, Tashkent.

His Excellency Jamshid Khojayev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan testified; His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, exchanged agreements for investment, connection to the network, and battery energy storage services for the “Zarafshan” project for energy storage battery systems, the largest independent project of its kind in the country, in addition to an agreement on plans to develop a wind energy plant project with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts in the Navoi region, which will constitute the first phase within a development program for other projects with a total capacity of up to 2,000 megawatts.

On this occasion, His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, stressed that the UAE is a major partner of the Republic of Uzbekistan in developing the energy sector, especially in the field of renewable energy and strategic projects that support sustainable growth, pointing out that cooperation between the two countries has contributed to the implementation of qualitative projects that enhance energy security and establish a pioneering model for the transition towards clean and reliable sources.

His Excellency said that through Masdar projects, which have become among the largest in Central Asia with a capacity of more than 2,000 megawatts, the UAE continues to support national efforts in Uzbekistan to develop a more efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure, which contributes to achieving long-term economic development that benefits future generations.

His Excellency added: We are proud of the growing partnership between the UAE and the Republic of Uzbekistan, and are committed to strengthening it in a way that serves our common interests and advances clean and renewable energy paths forward.

For his part, His Excellency Jorabek Mirzamoudov, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said: Recent years have witnessed a significant development in the friendly and cooperative relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. During the visit of His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev last January, Uzbek-Emirati relations were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership. The UAE company Masdar was the first partner to contribute to supporting the development of green energy sources in Uzbekistan, as in 2021 it operated the first solar photovoltaic power plant in the country.

He added that, in cooperation with Masdar Company, five solar energy plants with a total capacity of 1,247 megawatts were launched, a wind power plant with a capacity of 500 megawatts, in addition to a battery system for energy storage with a capacity of 63 megawatts, and a photovoltaic solar energy plant with a capacity of 300 megawatts is currently being built.

He pointed out that these projects would play an important role in integrating renewable energy sources on a large scale into the network and supporting the development of the energy sector in Uzbekistan.

His Excellency stressed the importance of the constructive partnership with the UAE and its role in creating a qualitative shift in the Uzbek energy sector.

For his part, Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said: Masdar is proud of its long-term contribution to supporting Uzbekistan’s ambitious drive in the field of clean energy. The inauguration of the Noor Bukhara station represents an important achievement, as the station combines for the first time the advantages of solar energy solutions and battery storage systems within a large-scale project. The GUZAR project, and other agreements signed today, will contribute to strengthening Masdar’s activities and projects in Uzbekistan, as well as opening the way for more partnerships and cooperation. We extend our sincere thanks to His Excellency President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Uzbek government, and we highly value the trust and continued support they provide to the development of the renewable energy sector in the country.

The “Noor Bukhara” photovoltaic solar power station with a capacity of 250 MW, equipped with storage systems with a capacity of 63 MW/126 MW/hour, will contribute to supplying more than 55,000 homes with electricity, and avoiding the emission of 367,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, while the “Guzar” project, which is scheduled to enter into operation in 2027, will contribute to supplying 60,000 homes with electricity, avoiding More than 400 thousand tons of emissions.

The “Zarafshan” energy storage battery project with a capacity of 300 MW/600 MWh, which is scheduled to enter into operation in 2028, will contribute to storing energy equivalent to supplying about 1.3 million homes with electricity for two hours. Plans also include implementing a second phase to expand the facility with the same capacity (300 MW/600 MWh).

These initiatives will contribute to enhancing Masdar’s growing activities in Uzbekistan, which currently includes clean energy projects with a total capacity of 2 gigawatts, and investments exceeding two billion US dollars.

Thanks to Uzbekistan’s abundant wind and solar energy resources, the country aims to develop clean energy projects with a capacity of no less than 25 gigawatts, and to generate 54 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030, a goal announced by His Excellency President Mirziyoyev during this year’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

The CIS region is a strategic market for Masdar as it aims to increase the total production capacity of its global project portfolio to 100 gigawatts by 2030.

In addition to its growing presence in Uzbekistan, the company has projects in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Through its projects in Uzbekistan and other global markets, Masdar focuses on providing clean, stable energy at a competitive cost, by integrating solar and wind energy solutions and energy storage battery systems that contribute to alleviating the constraints that limit the capacity of the electricity network, and provide partners and customers with reliable energy that meets their needs in light of the high demand for electricity consumption.