Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 17 December 2021, in the building of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a number of agreements were signed with the AKWA Power from Saudi Arabia, which was recognized as the winner of the tender for the construction of a 100 MW wind farm based on the principle of public-private partnership. in Karauzak and Beruni districts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

In 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Government of Uzbekistan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on cooperation in the development of large projects for the construction of wind farms with a total capacity of up to 1000 MW. 

This project, which will be implemented in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, is the first stage of this cooperation. With the support of consultants from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the project was developed by the Agency for the Development of Public-Private Partnerships under the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and other relevant ministries and departments.

The project for the construction of a 100 MW wind farm in the Republic of Karakalpakstan is considered the first wind energy project to be implemented on a tender basis within the framework of a public-private partnership in the field of renewable energy sources.

On 30 September 2021, the interdepartmental tender commission for this project announced the ACWA Power company (Saudi Arabia) as the winner of the international tender, which offered the lowest tariff price for generated electricity.

The project cost is US$108 million, and the service life is 25 years. Within the framework of this project:

- More than 110,000 households will be provided with uninterrupted power supply;

- 400 million kWh of electricity will be produced annually;

- More than 25 wind turbines will be installed;

- About 1000 new jobs will be created during construction and 50 permanent jobs during operation;

- It will be possible to reduce the level of irrational use (combustion) of natural gas and generate clean energy;

- The level of carbon dioxide emissions harmful to the atmosphere will be sharply reduced (up to 160,000 tons per year).