Uzbekistan has connected two new solar power plants to its grid, marking a significant step toward the country’s solar energy goals. The Samarkand and Jizzakh plants, with a combined capacity of 511 MW, were recently linked to the local grid to generate electricity.
Building the Solar Power Plants
International Cooperation Co Ltd—a division of Dongfang Electric Corporation—contracted Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co, popularly known as Masdar, to design and construct the two plants.
The plants feature 11,248 Vanguard 1P tracker units—provided exclusively by the Chinese company TrinaTracker—along with the Trina Smart Cloud digital SCADA platform at the tracker level.
This marks TrinaTracker’s second major project in Uzbekistan, following the construction of the Navoi solar power plant in 2021. The deal was signed in April 2023, and on Wednesday, Trina Solar Co Ltd announced the successful grid connection.
The Government’s Role and the Impact of the Project
Previously dependent on thermal power, Uzbekistan experienced regular blackouts. With government backing, however, the country has begun shifting towards solar energy, capitalizing on its central location and abundant sunlight. This support, combined with its natural advantages, has helped Uzbekistan emerge as a significant player in Central Asia’s solar PV market.
According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency, Uzbekistan’s installed solar capacity grew from 3.5 MW in 2020 to 252.5 MW in 2022. By 2030, the nation aims to deploy an ambitious 8 GW.
In a related development, Saudi energy giant ACWA Power announced in March 2023 that it had signed multiple power purchase agreements in Uzbekistan for a combined 1.4 GW of solar power and 1.5 GWh of storage capacity.
Once fully connected to the grid, this new project will produce 1.12 billion kWh annually—enough to power 240,000 households and cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1 million tonnes.
This initiative advances Uzbekistan’s shift to clean energy and will significantly ease local power supply constraints, marking a key milestone in the nation’s energy strategy.
