Kungrad wind farm : ACWA Power to build $2.4bn wind project in Uzbekistan

ACWA Power has entered into power purchase agreements (PPAs) and investment agreements (IAs) pertaining to the 1.5GW Kungrad wind farm with the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Under the agreement, the Saudi Arabia-based power and water utility firm will develop the wind farm in the Kungrad district in the Republic of Karakalpakstan as part of the country’s long-term strategy to diversify its energy mix.

The Kungrad wind farm, previously known as the Karakalpakstan Wind IPP, shall include three 500MW wind power projects, which are owned by three wind power subsidiaries of ACWA Power, namely ACWA Power Kungrad Wind 1, ACWA Power Kungrad Wind 2, and ACWA Power Kungrad Wind 3.

Each of the three wind projects will also include a 100MW capacity battery energy storage system.

The $2.4bn worth Kungrad wind farm is projected to eliminate 2.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually and provide green energy to 1.65 million households.

ACWA Power to build $2.4bn Kungrad wind farm in Uzbekistan. Photo courtesy of ACWA POWER.

Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov — Uzbekistan Energy Minister said: “The development of green energy and market reform go hand in hand in Uzbekistan, and the Kungrad project is a milestone both for our wind industry and the new public-private partnership model…

“The wind farm in Karakalpakstan, which will be built by our reliable partner ACWA Power, will be another pillar of a sustainable and reliable energy system in Uzbekistan.”

The Kungrad wind farm is anticipated to help the Uzbek government achieve its target of establishing 8GW of solar capacity by 2026 and 12GW of wind capacity by 2030.

The wind farm in Uzbekistan is expected to leverage bird-detecting technology to prevent bird collisions or fatalities.

Expected to see financial close by 2024, the wind project in Karakalpakstan will go onstream in 2027.

Mohammad Abunayyan — ACWA Power Chairman, commenting on the Kungrad wind farm, said: “We are deeply honoured to build upon our close partnership with the Republic of Uzbekistan as the nation continues to advance its decarbonisation efforts, pursuing a strong shift towards renewable energy.

“The signing of key agreements today for the landmark Kungrad wind farm project, which will set a new benchmark for sustainable energy development in the region, and the world, would have not been possible without the guidance of our visionary leadership and the trust and commitment of our partners from the Uzbek government.”

In August 2022, ACWA Power and the Uzbek government also signed $10bn investment cooperation agreement to develop green hydrogen plants in the Republic of Uzbekistan to minimize the country’s dependency on natural gas and carbon emissions.