Masdar has signed a landmark agreement to develop Uzbekistan’s largest standalone battery energy storage system.

The 300MW/600MWh Zarafshan Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will be located in Navoiy and is designed to enhance grid reliability and enable greater integration of renewable generation. Once operational in the third quarter of 2028, it will be capable of storing enough electricity to power around 1.3 million households for two hours.

The Battery Storage Service Agreement was signed between Masdar and JSC Uzenergosotish, Uzbekistan’s state-owned power trading company, during ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi. The signing was witnessed by UAE energy minister Suhail Al Mazrouei (pictured, second right) and Uzbekistan’s energy minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov (pictured, second left).

The project forms the first phase of a wider national storage programme under Masdar’s December 2023 framework agreement with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade, which targets up to 575MW/1.15GWh of capacity nationwide. A second phase will extend the Zarafshan installation with an additional 300MW/600MWh system.

Al Mazrouei said: “The UAE is proud to see its global clean energy leader, Masdar, supporting our partners around the world in accelerating their energy transformations. The Zarafshan Battery Energy Storage System will play a vital role in strengthening Uzbekistan’s grid resilience and expanding renewable energy integration. This collaboration is a testament to the strong ties between our nations and our shared commitment to advancing practical, scalable solutions for global energy security and decarbonisation.”

Mirzamahmudov said: “In recent years, the friendly relations between the heads of state of Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates have reached a new level. Within this framework, large-scale projects aimed at the widespread development of green energy are being implemented in Uzbekistan in cooperation with UAE companies. Thanks to this fruitful cooperation, the next major project, an energy storage system with a capacity of 300MW/600MWh, will also be implemented at an accelerated pace and will make a significant contribution to the integration of large-scale renewable energy sources into the grid.”

Masdar chief executive Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi (pictured, far right) said the project represents “a significant milestone for Uzbekistan’s energy transformation, and another demonstration of Masdar’s leadership in global battery storage projects”. He added: “This project builds on more than two decades of experience developing and operating large-scale renewable and storage assets, and we look forward to driving its successful delivery and contributing to Uzbekistan’s sustainable economic growth.”

Uzenergosotish chairman Jahongir Obidjonov (pictured, far left) said: “We are very pleased to launch another major project in cooperation with Masdar. This initiative will make a significant contribution to achieving Uzbekistan’s ambitious goals for the transition to green energy.”

The Zarafshan BESS builds on Masdar’s growing portfolio in Uzbekistan, where it already holds around 2GW of operational clean energy capacity and a further 2GW under development, with investments exceeding $2bn. The company said the project supports Uzbekistan’s target to source 54% of its power from renewables by 2030 and contributes to Masdar’s global ambition to reach 100GW of renewable capacity by the same year.

Masdar is also advancing large-scale storage innovation globally. In October, it began construction of a 5.2GW solar and 19GWh battery system in Abu Dhabi, designed to deliver 1GW of round-the-clock renewable power — the world’s largest and most advanced integrated project of its kind.