Masdar inaugurates 100MW Nur Navoi solar project in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s first utility-scale solar project started energisation, making its first contribution to Uzbekistan’s renewable energy targets

UAE headquartered Masdar has inaugurated the Nur Navoi Solar Project – Uzbekistan’s first successfully-financed independent power producer (IPP) solar project.

The 100-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) plant, Uzbekistan’s first utility-scale solar project, has begun energization, making its first contribution to Uzbekistan’s renewable energy targets.

Once fully operational, the plant will produce enough power for 31,000 households and displace around 150,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Masdar signed agreements in 2019 with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and JSC

National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan (NEGU) to design, finance, build, own and operate the solar plant.

Masdar established Nur Navoi Solar FE LLC as the local project company to deliver the PV plant, and to operate and maintain it over a 25-year period.

Nur Navoi is the first Masdar project to begin operations in Uzbekistan, with the company having committed to a number of other solar and wind projects in the Central Asian country.

“In the next five years, we plan to increase our economy’s growth rate by 1.5 times, and bring GDP to at least US $100 billion. Thousands of new industrial enterprises, both medium and large will be launched, and electricity demand is set to reach 100 billion kilowatt-hours - 30 billion more than now,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

“Therefore, we have very big plans for new reforms and projects in the electric power industry. In the next five years, 19 projects worth US$6.5 billion will be launched to create 11,500 MW of new capacity.”