Central Asia Launches Its First Agrivoltaics Project

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A new international agrivoltaics project—an innovative technology combining agriculture and renewable energy—has been launched at the Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon, and Potato Growing. The initiative aims to implement scientific developments and advanced solutions directly into practical agricultural production.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the French company Voltalia CA, a specialist in green energy. Agrivoltaic technologies allow for the simultaneous generation of electricity and cultivation of crops, optimizing land and energy use, expanding opportunities for scientific experimentation, and promoting sustainable development in the sector.

The project launch ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Akmal Kasymov and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Uzbekistan, Walid Fouk. Discussions during the event focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and integrating green energy with agricultural science.

At the Tashkent experimental station of the institute, an 800 kW pilot solar installation will be launched. The project is funded by a US$1 million grant and will include scientific research on the cultivation of vegetables, potatoes, and melons under solar panels. The institute has been allocated a one-hectare plot of land, and an investment agreement has been signed between the parties.

The implementation of the agrivoltaics project is expected not only to increase the practical efficiency of research activities but also to expand the adoption of innovative approaches in agriculture and promote the use of renewable energy in Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector.