UAE’s Masdar announces that it has signed a Battery Storage Service Agreement with JSC Uzenergosotish, Uzbekistan’s state-owned joint-stock company, to develop the nation’s largest standalone battery energy storage (BESS) project.
The Zarafshan BESS forms the first phase of a national battery storage program following Masdar’s December 2023 agreement with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade to develop up to 575 megawatts (MW) / 1.15 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of BESS capacity across the country.
Phase 1, which will be capable of storing up to 300MW / 600MWh of electricity, equivalent to powering approximately 1.3 million households for two hours, will connect to the Murunau Substation, while a second 300MW / 600MWh phase will extend the Zarafshan facility.
Once operational in Q3 2028, the Zarafshan BESS will strengthen Uzbekistan’s grid reliability and flexibility, supporting its target of generating 54 percent of power from renewables by 2030 and advancing long-term net-zero goals.
The agreement was signed at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) by Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Jahongir Obidjonov, Chairman of the Board, JSC Uzenergosotish, and witnessed by His Excellency Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, and His Excellency Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, Minister of Energy, Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Zarafshan BESS adds to Masdar’s growing current footprint in Uzbekistan, which includes around 2GW of clean energy capacity, with investments totaling over $2 billion USD. Masdar has committed to developing over 2GW of additional clean energy capacity, as well as the extension plan of Zarafshan BESS with additional 300MW / 600MWh, supporting Uzbekistan’s goal to reach 20GW of renewables by 2030 and Masdar’s global ambition of 100GW by 2030.
Masdar is also advancing large-scale energy storage innovation worldwide. In October, it broke ground on the world’s first gigascale 24/7 solar and battery storage project in Abu Dhabi, featuring a 5.2GW solar plant integrated with a 19GWh BESS to deliver 1GW baseload renewable power. Upon completion, this will be the largest and most technological advanced system of its kind globally.
