Masdar and Uzbekistan to build Central Asia’s largest battery storage project, 300MW/600MWh, by 2028.

Masdar has signed a battery storage agreement with Uzbekistan’s JSC Uzenergosotish to build the Zarafshan BESS, the country’s largest standalone energy storage project. The first phase, 300MW / 600MWh, will connect to the Murunau Substation and become operational by Q3 2028, powering about 1.3 million homes for two hours. A second phase of equal size is planned, supporting Uzbekistan’s goal of 54% renewable electricity by 2030. The project advances a national storage program targeting up to 575MW / 1.15GWh. The agreement, signed amid strengthened UAE-Uzbekistan ties, follows prior deals for solar and wind projects in Uzbekistan, adding to Masdar’s 2GW of clean energy capacity there.