In June 2020, Masdar signed an agreement with the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan and JSC National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan to design, finance, build and operate a 500-megawatt (MW) utility-scale wind farm project.
The Zarafshan Wind Farm will be located in the Navoi region. With a capacity of 500 MW, the project will provide enough electricity to power 500,000 homes. Once completed, the wind farm will displace 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Masdar will develop, build and operate the wind project, which is set to be the largest of its kind in Central Asia and the first to be constructed in Uzbekistan. Commercial operation is expected to be achieved in 2024, and the project will contribute to Uzbekistan’s target of generating 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
This is Masdar’s second utility-scale project in Uzbekistan following the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Government Support Agreement (GSA) with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan to design, finance, build and operate the country’s first public-private partnership (PPP) solar power plant. Masdar will develop the 100 MW utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar plant, which will also be located in the Navoi region.
In July 2021, Masdar announced that it was expanding its footprint in Uzbekistan with the signing of agreements to develop two additional PV power projects in the country for a combined capacity of 440 MW.
The Republic of Uzbekistan has set a goal of developing five gigawatts (GW) of solar and 3 GW of wind capacity by 2030.