Voltalia unveils deals for 550 MW of storage in Uzbekistan

Voltalia SA (EPA:VLTSA) on Wednesday said it has started building a 126-MW solar park in Uzbekistan and announced deals for 550 MW of battery storage capacity in the country, including one within the photovoltaic (PV) site.

The French renewable power plants operator expects its Sarimay solar farm in the northwestern Khorezm region to become operational in the second half of 2025. The company secured a 25-year power sales deal for the project in a tender coordinated by the International Finance Corporation at end-2022. Financing was extended by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Under a new framework agreement, a 50-MW/100-MWh battery system will be installed at the site of the PV park, with construction due to begin this year. A long-term sales contract is due to be signed in the summer, Voltalia said.

Sarimay will be part of a multi-energy complex with PV, wind and storage capacity. The potential for a 100-MW wind park is being assessed and construction could be launched in the medium term.

Additionally, Voltalia has sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Uzbek government to develop a 500-MW/1,000-MWh battery storage facility. The pact comes six months after the company unveiled a contract for a 500-MW wind-solar-storage hybrid project.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!