Saudi company and Asian Development Bank build first large wind farm in Central Asia
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Saudi company Acwa is nearing completion of the 200 MW Nukus-2 wind farm in the Karakalpakstan region of Uzbekistan.
The project, funded by a $51 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, features 26 turbines from Chinese manufacturer Envision. These turbines represent the largest in Central Asia, featuring 138-metre towers and 89.6-metre blades. The facility also includes a 100-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system to stabilize the grid during low wind periods or high demand.
Acwa is training local residents to operate the new infrastructure through the Al-Jabr programme. The company and its operator, Acwa Operations, provide free tuition, housing, and stipends to students in the Syrdarya region. This training includes English language studies and technical courses for the renewable energy sector. The company selects students and hires graduates for internships and permanent positions on its projects.
Around 90% of the specialists currently working on Acwa projects in the region come from the city of Nukus. The wind farm will provide electricity to approximately 300,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by 406,170 tonnes annually. The project aims to improve the reliability of the power supply in Karakalpakstan, where industrial growth and water treatment require stable electricity. The regional government plans to invest $11 billion in wind and solar energy to reach a total capacity of 10.3 GW.
This includes future projects like a 1.5 GW wind farm in Kungrad and a hybrid plant called Nukus-3.
