The Ministry of Energy has identified the winner of the bid for the construction of a new wind power plant in Karakalpakstan, the press service of the ministry reported.

As part of the project, it is planned to build a wind farm with a capacity of 200 MW and an electricity storage system with a capacity of 100 MW in the Beruniy and Karauzak districts. The tender, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, started in April 2022.

The initial selection included proposals from nine companies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, India, France and Turkey. Of these, two participants submitted their commercial proposals at the final stage, the opening of which took place on November 22.

ACWA Power JSC’s proposal was recognized as the best. The Saudi company offered a price of 4.09 cents per 1 kWh of electricity.

Its main competitor, Abu Dhabi Future Energy PJSC, Masdar, priced the project at 4.99 cents per kilowatt-hour. An energy concern from the UAE became the reserve winner of the competition.

Now we have to conclude an agreement with the winner and approve all the necessary documents. The company will design the future power plant, provide financing for the work and operation.

ACWA in Uzbekistan is implementing a number of projects. Thus, the company is constructing two wind power plants in Karakalpakstan – 1.5 GW and 100 GW – and is working on two 500 MW wind farms in the Bukhara region.

The Saudi company 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.

Another project in which the company is involved is a 1.5 GW gas power plant in Shirin, Syrdarya region. The first power unit of the TPP started operating on the morning of October 27.