Sarimay Project
Renewable energies in Uzbekistan
Today, the energy mix of Uzbekistan is mainly composed of coal and gas fired power plants and only 200 MW of solar energy were producing electricity in 2022.
However, Uzbekistan has a very ambitious renewable energy plan until 2030: in order to match the demand increase of the electricity consumption due to the growth of the population and the climate change, the Government of Uzbekistan targets the commissioning of 12 GW of renewable energy power plants in less than 10 years. If until 2022 the market was largely dominated by a duopoly composed by Masdar and Acwa Power companies, newcomers, like Voltalia, entered the market since 2023. But the country has also to face another issue with the modernization of its electricity grid which becomes old and overloaded.
The main Development Financing Institutions (EBRD, World Bank, ADB) committed to sponsor the different projects of grid modernization and renewable energy projects to reach the given target by 2030. Therefore, and thanks to a very good irradiation factor and wind speed, the Government of Uzbekistan manage to attract investors who propose a very attractive price of electricity.
Sarimay Solar
Sarimay Solar is a 126 MW solar PV power plant developed by Voltalia following an international tender process organized by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan and sponsored by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) under the Scaling Solar 3 program. Voltalia financed, developed, built and now operates and maintains the power plant under a 25‑year framework.
In January 2023, Voltalia was notified as the winning bidder after proposing the lowest electricity price of USD 28.88/MWh. The project is located in the Khorezm region, approximately 200 km from the city of Urgench.
The location and size of the land, the installed capacity, the connection point at the existing Sarimay substation, as well as the terms and conditions of the Power Purchase Agreement, were defined by the Ministry of Energy. The electricity produced by the plant is sold to JSC National Electricity Grid of Uzbekistan (JSC NEGU).
Following the award, Voltalia carried out all development and construction activities, including securing permits, conducting technical studies, assessing environmental and social impacts, and selecting suppliers and subcontractors. The project has now been fully completed and commissioned, resulting in a fully operational solar power plant delivering clean, renewable electricity to the Uzbek power grid.
This website provides additional information on the environmental and social aspects of the Sarimay Solar project. These commitments are essential to ensuring the long‑term sustainability, responsible operation and lasting positive impact of the power plant.
