The first power unit of a thermal power plant, built with the participation of ACWA Power, began operation in the Syrdarya region, the Ministry of Energy reported.

The launch ceremony of generating capacities at a thermal power plant near the city of Shirin took place on October 27. The supply of electricity to the general network began at 10:45.

The capacity of the launched unit is about 120 MW or 8% of the design indicator for the power plant. By the end of the year it is planned to reach 1000 MW, and by the end of March 2024 – to full capacity.

ACWA Power and the Ministry of Energy signed an agreement on the construction of a combined cycle gas turbine thermal power plant near the city of Shirin in the spring of 2020. Construction work on the site started at the beginning of 2021.

The 1.5 GW power plant will be able to produce 12 billion kWh of electricity per year. Due to the use of modern energy-efficient technologies, it will use 1 billion cubic meters of gas less than existing similar thermal power plants.

The project is financed by a group of international lenders - the EBRD, the OPEC Fund for International Development, DEG (Deutsche Investitions-Und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Mbh) and others. In particular, the AIIB provided $100 million for the project.

The general contractor for the project is China Energy Engineering Corporation. In 2022, China’s sovereign wealth fund Silk Road acquired a 49% stake in the future thermal power plant from ACWA Power.

In addition, ACWA is implementing a number of other projects in Uzbekistan. Thus, the company is building two wind power plants in Karakalpakstan – 1.5 GW and 100 GW – and is participating in the creation of two wind farms of 500 MW each in the Bukhara region.

She also signed agreements on the creation of two photovoltaic power plants and energy storage complexes in the Tashkent and Samarkand regions. In addition, ACWA will invest $88 million in green hydrogen production in Chirchik.