China, Saudi Arabia Team on Wind Projects in Uzbekistan

China’s Envision Energy said it will supply 1 GW of generation capacity for wind projects designed by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power in Uzbekistan.

Envision, headquartered in Shanghai and China’s second-largest wind turbine manufacturer, made the June 20 announcement on the heels of several other large wind turbine deals in recent months, in Egypt, India, and also in Saudi Arabia. The company also is among China’s leaders in energy management software.

Envision earlier this month was chosen to supply about 1.7 GW of turbines to the $8.4 billion Neom hydrogen facility in Saudi Arabia. The Neom project will link 4 GW of solar, wind, and battery energy storage to produce as much as 600 tonnes daily of green ammonia using more than 2 GW of hydrogen electrolysis.

Tuesday’s announcement said Envision will supply its EN171-6.5 turbines to ACWA’s Bash and Dzhankeldy onshore wind farms in Uzbekistan.

Major Wind Turbine Supplier

BloombergNEF in a recent report said Envision was the world’s fourth-largest supplier of turbines last year, with 8.3 GW of installed generation capacity.

Uzbekistan is ramping up its use of renewable energy. The country has a goal of installing at least 5 GW of onshore wind by 2030. ACWA Power has signed a $10 billion investment cooperation agreement with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy for renewable energy, green hydrogen, and gas-to-power projects in the country over the next five years.

Uzbekistan First Deputy Energy Minister Azim Akhmedkhodjaev after the agreement was signed last year said, “We have outstanding partners in ACWA Power, which is already implementing four energy projects in Uzbekistan, meaning these new ventures are based on a strong foundation of partnership and trust.”

—Darrell Proctor is a senior associate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).