ACWA Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination and green hydrogen plants worldwide, has signed yesterday three Power Purchase Agreements and Investment Agreements with Uzbekistan’s Joint-Stock Company (JSC) National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan (NEGU) and Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade.
The agreements include the development of three solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Tashkent and Samarkand and three Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand, with a total capacity of 1.4 GW of additional renewable energy and 1.5 GWh of additional battery storage capacity. The Tashkent projects will include a 400 MW PV plant and 500 MWh BESS, while two 500 MW PV projects each and a 500 MWh BESS will be developed in Samarkand. Another 500 MWh BESS will be located in Bukhara, and the project will include overhead transmission lines to help dispatch power to the grid.
The projects will play an instrumental role in achieving Uzbekistan’s ambitious targets to transition to a low-carbon economy as well as diversify its energy sources. The Republic’s targets to reform the energy sector entail generating 35% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, equating to 15,000 MW divided into 10,000 MW of solar power and 5,000 MW of wind power. Achieving this target will help offset 16 million tons of CO2 emissions a year.
By incorporating BESS into the grid, Uzbekistan will soon have the largest battery energy storage facilities in the region which will play a crucial role in stabilizing the grid while promoting renewable energy in the Republic. The BESS will help to mitigate the effects of intermittency that are inherent in renewable energy sources. They will store excess electricity generated during times of high production and make it available during periods of low production. This will ensure a constant and reliable supply of electricity to the grid, ultimately helping to meet the growing demand for energy in Uzbekistan.