RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has established itself as a significant energy leader in Central Asia, with the Kingdom’s ACWA Power installing the first turbine for its 500-megawatt Bash wind farm project in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region.
According to a company press release, the wind turbine generator with a capacity of 6.5 MW and manufactured by Envision is the largest of its kind in Central Asia.
The installation of the wind turbine and generator was carried out by engineering, procurement, and construction contractor China Energy Engineering Corp.
“The successful installation of the first turbine on the Bash wind farm is just one of the many milestones we are excited to mark on this project,” said Kashif Rana, chief portfolio management officer of ACWA Power, in the statement.
The Bash wind farm, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, will feature 79 wind turbine generators and produce more than 1,650 gigawatt-hours of power annually, lowering carbon dioxide emissions by 750 tons.
ACWA Power has a 25-year power purchase agreement with the JSC National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan for the project.
The Saudi power company’s portfolio includes 10 projects in Uzbekistan totaling $7.5 billion in investment value. ACWA Power said its ongoing investments and collaborations demonstrate its commitment to boosting economic development, renewable energy development, and sustainable development of Uzbekistan’s energy sector.
ACWA Power’s expanding portfolio saw it being named the largest water project developer outside of China by the UK-based Global Water Intelligence.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, GWI noted that the Saudi company has significantly increased its lead among the top global developers with a gross capacity of 6.8 million cubic meters per day and a net capacity of 3.2 million m3 per day.
In July, ACWA Power signed a land-related agreement to construct a massive wind farm that will supply electricity to 11 million Egyptian homes.
According to the memorandum of understanding, which was signed by the firm and Egypt's New and Renewable Energy Authority, 3,000 sq. km of land will be set aside for the development of the project.
