ACWA Power to Build Green Hydrogen Plant

The Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan on July 10 hosted negotiations between Minister Laziz Kudratov and Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of the Board of ACWA Power. The parties discussed implementation of the company’s current portfolio of projects in Uzbekistan and prospects for expansion of investment cooperation in energy and chemical industry, the Uzbek ministry said. Today the investment portfolio of the Saudi company in Uzbekistan includes 8 projects with a total cost of over 6.8 billion USD and design capacity of more than 5.5 GW. It was emphasized that the success of the company plays an important role in promoting Uzbekistan as a comfortable investment destination and a leading center for introduction of renewable energy sources in the Central Asian region. Constructive exchange of views was held on topical issues relating to implementation of current projects on construction of a combined cycle power plant in Syrdarya region with a capacity of 1.5 GW, wind power plants in Bukhara region and Republic of Karakalpakstan with a total capacity of 2.6 GW and solar power plants in Samarkand and Tashkent regions with a capacity of 1.4 GW. An agreement was reached to take a set of practical measures to ensure accelerated commissioning of the projects. A number of new initiatives were considered separately. Thus, the parties welcomed the completion of necessary procedures and reaching new agreements on the project of construction of a plant for the production of "green" hydrogen, with a capacity of 3 thousand tons per year. The start of construction works is scheduled for the fall of this year. In addition, a discussion was held on the prospects for accelerating the project of localization of equipment production for wind turbines. Each of the parties stressed that the implementation of this project in Uzbekistan will significantly expand the geography and volume of renewable energy sources and increase the availability of these technologies in the domestic market.