Acwa + Sumitomo partner on renewables in Uzbekistan: Saudi renewables giant Acwa Power signed a joint development agreement with Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation to develop 2.5 GW worth of renewable energy projects and nearly 1 GW worth of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Uzbekistan valued at USD 4.2 bn, according to a press release. Under the agreement, Acwa will divest 49% of its stake in the projects to Sumitomo.
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First up, Samarkand: The first set of projects — the Sazagan 1 and 2 solar farms — are located in Samarkand, with each boasting a 500 MW capacity. The solar farms are supported by a 334 MW BESS system. Commercial operations for the solar farms are set to begin between 2Q 2026 and 2Q 2027.
Next, Karakalpakstan: The second set of projects — the Kungrad 1, 2, and 3 wind farms — are located in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Each wind farm has a 500 MW along with 100 MW of BESS. Commercial operations are set to begin in 2Q 2028.
Acwa is investing heavily in Uzbekistan: Acwa Power has a 10-project green energy portfolio in Uzbekistan with a combined USD 7.5 bn investment value. The company is building a green hydrogen plant in Tashkent that will generate 3k tons of green hydrogen annually during its initial production phase, with a 52 MW wind farm to support the project. Acwa also signed three power purchase agreements totaling USD 2.5 bn in March with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan and the country’s Investment, Industry, and Trade Ministry for 1.4 GW worth of solar projects and three BESS units totalling a capacity of 1.5 GWh.