MW Energy, a joint venture (JV) between Masdar and W Solar Investment, has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tajikistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources to explore the development of renewable energy projects in the country.
Tajikistan is landlocked but has lakes, rivers and glaciers and is dependent on hydropower. It also has potential for other clean energy sources.
The MoU was signed at the Dushanbe International Investment Forum. The JV now plans to build ground-mounted and floating solar, onshore wind and hydropower projects.
The projects will be built under a public-private partnership model, with a 500MW capacity target for the first phase.
Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi stated: “As Masdar and W Solar mark our entrance into the Tajikistan market, this partnership demonstrates the impressive range of utility-scale renewable energy expertise we are able to bring to the table.
“We look forward to supporting the Republic of Tajikistan with its renewable energy goals and harnessing the abundant power of the nation’s sun, wind and water to generate clean energy and drive sustainable development.”
Tajikistan Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Jum’a stated: “Tajikistan is committed to increasing its installed electricity generation capacity and growing its promising green energy sector. 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.
“A significant increase in generation is planned through the introduction of renewable energy.
“By 2030, the installed capacity of generating stations using solar and wind energy should be 700MW; today, 450MW of this is being developed by a feasibility study with the participation of international consulting companies with the financial support of international financial institutions. This is a relatively new direction for us, but nevertheless concrete work has already begun.”
In September 2023, Masdar and Indonesia’s PLN Nusantara Power agreed to expand phase II of the country's Cirata floating photovoltaic power plant by 500MW. This builds on the 145MW first phase of the project, expected to launch later in 2023.