An agreement was signed in Tashkent between ACWA Power of Saudi Arabia and India’s Larsen & Toubro.
According to the Presidential decree, the companies have developed a special localization program. It envisions the active involvement of Uzbekistan suppliers, specialists, and production facility owners, creating long-term potential and added value within the country.
The signed documents provide for the construction of some of the largest solar power plants with storage systems in all of Central Asia.
“The key advantage of our project compared to others is, first of all, that it includes two solar power plants with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts, as well as an energy storage facility with a capacity of 1,320 megawatt-hours. In addition, it will be implemented in Nurabad district of Samarkand region, and within its framework a 500-kilovolt, 350-kilometer transmission line will be built to connect Samarkand and Tashkent regions, along with two additional 500-kilovolt transmission lines. Unlike other power and green energy projects currently underway in Uzbekistan, this project will engage local manufacturers and builders to the greatest extent possible. Over the past year and a half, ACWA Power and Larsen & Toubro have studied the country’s market and involved as many local producers and contractors in the construction process as possible. The total amount allocated for localization will reach $300 million. This means not only financial participation by local manufacturers in the project but also an increase in their international potential, in terms of both quality and safety standards. More than 30 local enterprises have already been engaged. The total investment in the project amounts to $1.7 billion, provided by ACWA Power and international banks. The implementation is being carried out in cooperation with local authorities, the Samarkand Regional Hokimiyat, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and other agencies”, said Alimardon Abdukarimov, Director General of the Sazagan Solar 1 and 2 project at ACWA Power.
Aziza Alimova, UzA