ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia is taking a major role in Uzbekistan's energy transformation via involvement in a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant and two large wind power facilities. In late January a construction commencement ceremony was held in Tashkent for the 1500MW Sirdarya CCGT plant.
The project will provide cleaner, more efficient and cost-competitive gas power that can be utilized across industries in Uzbekistan, and will comprise 8% of the country's installed power capacity. Construction cost is US$1.2 billion.
Back in March 2020 cooperation agreements were signed between the Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, and ACWA Power to enable Uzbekistan’s ambitious energy transformation plan.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the Sirdarya CCGT plant on January 25 coincided with the signing of two power purchase agreements and investment agreements for two wind power plants located in Bukhara and Navoi.
The Bash and Dzhankeldy plants, located in the Bukhara and the Bukhara/Navoi regions respectively, have a total investment value of US$1.3 billion, and are expected to offset 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
Powered by approximately 200 wind turbines, the projects will contribute one-third of Uzbekistan’s 3GW wind energy targets, supplying 2.7 million households and supporting the government’s goal of generating 30% of its power capacity from renewable sources by 2030.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Sardor Umurzakov, and a Saudi Arabian delegation led by Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih.
ACWA Power will be delivering the three projects utilizing its technical knowledge, expertise and experience to contribute directly to meeting Uzbekistan’s growing electricity demand, which is expected to reach 110 billion kWh annually by 2030.
An official statement said the company’s contribution is also aligned with Uzbekistan’s national mandate to increase energy efficiency, introduce energy-saving technologies, and develop and implement renewable energy sources under its recent energy sector reforms.
