The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Saudi Arabia's power group ACWA Power have signed a US$51m loan agreement to finance the development of the Nukus 2 Wind and Battery Energy Storage Project in the Qoraozak district of Karakalpakstan, in Uzbekistan. The project will be implemented by ACWA Power Beruniy Wind, a wholly owned subsidiary of ACWA Power. The project includes the construction and operation of a 200 MW wind power plant and a 100 MWh battery energy storage system, along with the necessary transmission infrastructure. This marks Central Asia’s first wind power project to incorporate a utility-scale battery energy storage system.
Uzbekistan aims to add 25 GW of renewable energy capacity and achieve a 35% reduction in GHG emissions per unit of GDP by 2030. At the end of 2024, Uzbekistan had an installed wind power capacity of approximately 500 MW.