A memorandum of understanding worth $1.7mn has been signed between Uzbekistan’s Technical Regulatory Agency and Saudi Arabian company ACWA Power.
The agreement aims to enhance calibration services for measuring instruments used in renewable energy projects, specifically wind and solar power plants, in the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
The investment will fund the establishment of a high-precision laboratory complex at the National Metrology Institute of Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan branch. This facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art measuring instruments to support the growing demand for accurate measurements in the expanding renewable energy sector.
Over the past five years, Uzbekistan has tripled its number of national standards, and the calibration coverage in industrial sectors has reached 78%. Additionally, expenditures on calibration abroad have decreased by 75%. This investment stresses the country’s commitment to maintaining high metrological standards amid rapid industrial development.
ACWA Power’s project will involve constructing wind power plants in the Aral Bay region, generating approximately 18,500 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually. The project will be executed in five phases and is a significant move towards Uzbekistan’s clean energy transition strategy.
Earlier ACWA Power has officially begun building the Beruniy Wind Independent Power Plant (IPP) and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the Beruniy Region of Karakalpakstan.
The Beruniy Wind IPP will feature a 200 MW wind power plant and a 100 MW BESS, with a total investment of $260mn. The facility is set to produce 800mn kWh of clean energy annually, enough to supply about 292,000 households.
It is also projected to conserve 212mn cubic meters of natural gas and cut CO2 emissions by 336,000 tonnes each year. Additionally, a 45 km double-circuit 220 kV power transmission line will be built to connect the plant to the Beruniy substation.
