Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched the construction of the 1.5 GW Kungrad wind power plant on September 18 during his visit to Karakalpakstan, which is being developed by Acwa. According to Acwa, the project also includes creating infrastructure to connect the facility to Uzbekistan's unified power system. The president.uz website confirmed that the active construction phase of the wind power plant and its grid connection has begun.
According to Acwa, the Kungrad wind farm will be the largest renewable energy project in the CIS in the field of wind energy. The complex will be equipped with an Energy Storage System (BESS) with a capacity of 300 MW. Acwa's project documentation confirms a wind capacity of 1,500 MW and a BESS capacity of 300 MW.
To transmit the generated electricity, it is planned to build about 1,500 km of high-voltage transmission lines, as well as construct three 500 kV substations, while two additional substations will undergo modernization.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of new energy facilities, Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that the share of green energy in Uzbekistan has reached 40% in a short period of time.
The Kungrad wind farm will become part of Acwa's broader energy portfolio in Karakalpakstan. Previously, projects Nukus-1 and Nukus-2 were implemented in the districts of Beruniy and Karauzak, with a total capacity of 300 MW and an energy storage capacity of 100 MW.
Considering existing, under-construction, and planned facilities, Acwa's total projected potential in Karakalpakstan will reach approximately 2.3 GW. The investment volume is estimated at about 4 billion US dollars, with a total energy storage capacity of 650 MW and a transmission line length of 1,441 km.
These projects are expected to generate about 8.77 billion kWh of net electricity annually, which, according to the company, is enough to meet the needs of approximately 2.4 million households. Furthermore, the projects should allow for savings of about 2.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas and prevent emissions of almost 5 million tons of CO2 annually.
Abid Malik, Acwa's President for Central Asia, stated that Karakalpakstan is becoming one of the key areas for the company's investments in Uzbekistan. He said that after implementing all current projects, Acwa's portfolio in the region will double.
During the peak construction period of the Kungrad wind farm, it is expected that about 4,000 jobs will be created. The localization volume is estimated at about 750 million US dollars, which, according to the company, will create additional opportunities for local specialists, enterprises, and suppliers.
The company is also involved in training personnel for the energy sector. Currently, 78 students from Karakalpakstan are studying at Shirin College for subsequent employment at major energy facilities.
Authorities plan to increase the total capacity of wind power plants in Karakalpakstan to 3.3 GW by 2030, and the share of green energy to 76%. Acwa emphasized that the development of energy projects in the region includes not only increasing generation capacity but also energy storage systems, transmission infrastructure, production localization, and specialist training.
Acwa has been operating in Uzbekistan since 2019. The company considers Uzbekistan its second-largest market in the world by investment volume after Saudi Arabia. In Uzbekistan, the company is implementing 19 projects with a total capacity of 13.9 GW and total investments of 16.5 billion US dollars. Acwa's portfolio in Uzbekistan covers wind and solar projects, energy storage systems, traditional generation, and green hydrogen production projects.