Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar has signed an implementation agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan to further enhance the capacity of its Zarafshan wind farm from 500MW to 1.5GW.
Last year, the company entered into bilateral agreements with the Government of Uzbekistan to build and operate the 500MW wind farm project.
The new agreement was signed in the presence of Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Sardor Umurzakov and Energy Minister Alisher Sultanov.
Umurzakov said: “Mobilisation of renewable energy potential in Uzbekistan would provide significant contribution to sustainable economic growth and fighting climate change.
“Along with that, expansion of clean power generation capacities by Masdar will support our objective to double the volume of electricity generation by 2030.
“Masdar will become a strong bridge connecting our countries, through which new Emirati companies will also invest in Uzbekistan.”
Located in the Zarafshan district of the Navoi region, the wind facility capacity extension will help the country to achieve its objective of adding up to 3GW of wind energy, while meeting 25% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by the end of this decade.
The Zarafshan wind farm is expected to enter commercial operation phase by the end of 2024.
Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: “As a global leader in the development of utility-scale wind power, Masdar is proud to support Uzbekistan’s low-carbon energy strategy, and to strengthen our partnership with the Government to drive sustainable development.”
Electricity produced by the project will be sufficient to power 500,000 homes. It will also displace 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
