BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 24. Saudi Arabia’s
ACWA Power plans to bring its 1-gigawatt solar power project in
Uzbekistan’s Samarkand region to full capacity by the end of 2027,
the Ministry of Energy said following Energy Minister Sherzod
Khodjayev’s visit to the site on October 23.
The project comprises a 1,000-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant,
an energy storage system with a capacity of 1,336 megawatt-hours,
and new 500-kilovolt and 220-kV power transmission lines.
The first 100-MW phase of the solar plant was commissioned in
September 2026. During his visit, Khodjayev reviewed the operation
of the commissioned facility and inspected construction and
installation work on the remaining stages.
The project incorporates technologies designed to improve solar
panel efficiency, including tracking systems that adjust panel
positions according to the sun’s movement and robotic equipment for
panel cleaning.
The energy storage system is scheduled to begin operating in the
first half of 2027, while the solar plant is expected to reach its
full capacity by the end of that year.
Khodjayev instructed project officials to meet construction
deadlines, maintain high quality standards, comply with technical
requirements during equipment installation and coordinate work
across all project stages.
Once completed, the project is expected to increase Uzbekistan’s
electricity generation capacity, facilitate the integration of
renewable energy into the national grid and improve the reliability
of power supplies to households and industrial consumers. It is
also intended to strengthen electricity supply reliability in
Tashkent and the eastern Fergana Valley regions.
The project also includes double-circuit 500-kV and 220-kV
transmission lines incorporating technical solutions that the
ministry describes as being implemented for the first time in
Central Asia. The lines are intended to integrate the new
generating capacity into Uzbekistan’s unified power system and
expand electricity transmission between regions.
