Masdar wins 457MW Uzbekistan solar gig

• Sherabad project becomes part of a bigger programme to create 1GW of PV plants

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) has won the tender for the construction of a 457MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Uzbekistan.

The contract for the project in the Sherabad district of the Surkhandarya area was awarded by the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan.

The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev officially released the implementation stage of the project on a see to the site on 1 June 2021.

This followed his current announcement on 31 May at the International Summit Partnership for Green Growth and also Global Goals-- 2030 that Uzbekistan prepares to host a global meeting Green Energy for Developing Countries following year.

The Sherabad project is part of a broader programme to construct solar PV plants with an overall ability of 1GW.

The programme is being carried out by Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Investment as well as Foreign Trade, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

Energy Minister of Uzbekistan Alisher Sultanov stated: "Solar energy is a top priority for Uzbekistan, as well as we anticipate reaching our target of 1GW set by the Programme.

" Our solar energy approach will develop highly competent, local tidy energy work in accordance with the government's program for energy diversity.

" The global solar power market has actually doubled given that 2019, with a record number of new setups targeted. In Uzbekistan, we are really pleased to sign up with the international community of solar energy generators and have a commercial solar method in place."

The Programme will reduce energy expenses for the Uzbek population, lower the country's dependancy on fossil fuels, and also lower general CO2 discharges.

It is likewise a key component of Uzbekistan's enthusiastic, larger strategy to generate up to 5GW of environmentally friendly solar generation by 2030, to meet growing electrical power need.

Once full, the Sherabad plant's yearly output will be 1.04 bn kWh which will conserve 340m cubic metres of gas annually and also provide 300,000 houses with electrical power.

Generally, 54 global companies initially shared passion in the project.

Complying with a careful option process, 5 short-listed prospects submitted last commercial, technical and financial propositions.

Therefore, Masdar was granted the tender to build the 457MW plant with a suggested energy cost (tariff) of US 1.8045 cents per kWh.

The project additionally includes building of a brand-new 220kV substation as well as a 52 km transmission line to connect to the 500kV Surkhan substation.

To contrast, various other prospective buyers' proposals were 3.3940, 2.4825 and also 2.1621 cents per kWh.