EBRD secures financing package for Uzbek Zarafshan wind farm

The 500 MW plant in the Navoi region will save 757,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year and is developed by Zarafshan. The company is wholly owned by Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC, which is in turn indirectly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi and is an existing client of the EBRD.

Another innovation incorporated into the project protects birds at risk of collision with wind turbines. This is done through the use of Identiflight, an aerial AI-based HRSC-camera system for shut-down on demand, which is able to monitor and detect the species at risk of collision and trigger automatic curtailment of selected turbines. This system is being deployed in Central Asia for the first time.

The Uzbek government’s renewables deployment plan targets development of 12 GW of solar and wind capacity by 2030. As the first wind power project in Uzbekistan and the largest renewable energy project in Central Asia, this project will support the government’s strategic priority.

Since 2017, Uzbekistan has embarked on a major power sector reform aimed at establishing an effective regulatory regime, enhancing security of supply and attracting private sector investment, while aiming to diversify the country’s energy mix and develop its significant renewable energy potential.