QAZAQ GREEN. On 13 March in Tashkent, Uzbekhydroenergo JSC and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC - Masdar, a clean energy power plant in the UAE, signed an agreement with the state-owned hydroelectric power producer in Uzbekistan to assess the feasibility of several projects on the accumulation of hydroelectric power in the country, UZ Daily reports.

The cooperation will support Uzbekistan’s ambitious renewable energy strategy by addressing supply disruptions.

As part of the agreement, the possibility of building pumped storage hydroelectric power plants in several locations throughout Uzbekistan will be explored.

The announcement represents Masdar’s first entry into the pumped storage hydropower sector.

Pumped hydroelectric storage can facilitate the rapid adoption of intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind with a stable and reliable energy storage solution that can operate at utility scale.

According to the International Hydropower Association (IHA), pumped storage hydropower accounts for more than 90 percent of the world’s installed energy storage capacity, and it estimates pumped storage capacity could reach 240 GW by 2030.

With a broad clean energy portfolio including solar, floating solar, onshore wind, offshore wind, floating wind, geothermal, battery energy storage and green hydrogen, today’s agreement represents Masdar’s first entry into the pumped storage market.

This announcement complements Masdar’s growing number of renewable energy projects in Uzbekistan. In December 2023, solar and wind energy projects with a total capacity of 1.4 GW developed by Masdar were connected to the power grid of Uzbekistan. Projects connected to the grid included the 500 MW Zarafshan wind farm and three solar projects located in Jizzakh, Samarkand and Sherabad, which represent the largest solar energy development program in the region. Masdar also signed an agreement to develop an additional 2 GW wind power project and deploy 1,150 megawatt hours (MWh) of battery storage systems across five existing projects in the country.

First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Uzbekhydroenergo JSC, Mr. Makhmudov Fozil Khojanazarovich, noted: “Today we are focused and are actively starting to implement projects for the construction of new hydroelectric power stations, pumped storage power plants, modernization of existing hydroelectric power stations, improvement of infrastructure and attraction of investments in this area. This event opens a new page in the development of hydropower.”

Masdar Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Jamil Al Ramahi said: “Today’s announcement is the latest manifestation of our expanding participation in Uzbekistan’s clean energy development journey. Uzbekistan is a key strategic focus for Masdar and we are proud to expand our involvement in pumped storage hydropower as part of our wide-ranging efforts to help the country meet its climate goals across all viable renewable energy sources.”

Uzbekistan is committed to creating a sustainable and long-term energy system based on clean and renewable energy sources. Thanks to the achieved results and high progress in the field of hydropower, our country is actively developing hydropower potential and strives to meet the growing energy needs in environmentally friendly ways. According to the long-term development strategy, by 2030 it is planned to significantly increase the share of hydropower in the country’s overall energy balance.