As per the terms of the agreement with the Kyrgyzstan government, the UAE-based state-owned renewable energy company will initially develop a 200MW solar power plant besides exploring and investing in various renewable energy projects
Masdar signs agreement with Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy to build 1GW clean energy project pipeline. (Credit: MASDAR)
Masdar has signed an agreement with Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Energy to build a clean energy project pipeline of up to 1GW in the Central Asian country.
As per the terms of the agreement, the UAE’s state-owned renewable energy company will initially develop a 200MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, which is expected to commence operations by 2026.
The implementation agreement follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Masdar and the Kyrgyzstan government signed in April 2022.
Under the MoU, the company agreed to explore the country’s potential in renewable energy and to contribute to its decarbonisation goals.
Kyrgyzstan intends to mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 44% by the end of this decade and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Central Asian country is said to be producing about 90% of its electricity from clean energy resources, mostly from old hydropower plants, said Masdar.
Kyrgyzstan Minister of Energy Ibraev Taalaibek Omukeevich said: “Today, the energy system of the Kyrgyz Republic faces challenges meeting the significant demand for electricity from all categories of consumers with our existing resources.
“At the same time, Kyrgyzstan has good solar energy potential. The successful implementation of projects to develop solar power plants of up to 1 GW capacity will help to ensure our nation’s energy security.
“The large-scale development of the renewable energy system will also help to improve employment, living conditions and energy supply for the population of the republic, reduce poverty in rural areas, and improve the level of education, as well as introduce new modern technologies.”
As part of the agreement, the UAE-based clean energy company is expected to explore and invest in various renewable energy projects such as ground-mounted solar PV, floating solar PV, and hydropower projects.
Masdar CEO Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi said: “Masdar has considerable experience in Central Asia and we will leverage our expertise to support the Kyrgyz Republic’s clean energy objectives.
“Kyrgyzstan is blessed with abundant solar resources and we see this 200 MW plant being the first of a number of projects that will support the nation’s goals on emissions reductions, while increasing clean energy access and security.”
In November 2022, Masdar signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Turkmenenergo State Power Corporation of the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan (Turkmenenergo) to develop a 100MWac solar PV plant in Turkmenistan.