Masdar enters Tajikistan with solar and hydro ambitions

Reuters

• Masdar and W Solar Investment working together
• Agreement with Tajikistan for 500MW of clean energy
• Masdar has many projects in Central Asia

A joint venture between Abu Dhabi state clean energy company Masdar and W Solar Investment is exploring floating solar power and hydropower projects in landlocked and water-abundant Tajikistan.

MW Energy has signed an agreement with Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and plans to develop at least 500MW capacity of clean energy.

With an abundance of lakes, rivers and glaciers, Tajikistan relies on hydropower and has huge potential for developing other renewable energy sources. 

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The MW Energy venture aims to develop projects including solar, wind and hydropower, as part of a public-private partnership. 

Central Asia is an important investment destination for Masdar. It has developed several landmark projects including the region’s largest wind farm – the 500MW capacity Zarafshan plant in Uzbekistan. 

Masdar has also reached financial close on three Uzbek solar projects in Jizzakh, Samarkand and Sherabad, which have a combined capacity of around 900MW – making it the largest solar development programme in Central Asia. 

Masdar’s 100MW Nur Navoi Solar Power Project in Uzbekistan has been operational since 2021. Other key projects in the pipeline include the 250MW Nur Bukhara Solar Power Project with a battery energy storage system.

CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said the announcement marked Masdar’s entry into Tajikistan.

Daler Jum’a, Tajikistan’s minister of energy and water resources, said: “Our land is blessed with many natural resources, and we look forward to working with partners to harness this potential and meet our energy and development goals.” 

By 2030, the country aims to generate 700MW using solar and wind energy.

“This is a relatively new direction for us, but nevertheless concrete work has already begun,” Jum’a added.

Established in 2006, Masdar is active in more than 40 countries and is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100GW by the end of the decade.