Construction of wind power plants and industrial enterprises begins in Karakalpakstan

In the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the construction of wind power plants and industrial enterprises has commenced, and new shopping complexes have been put into operation. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in the ceremony held to mark the occasion, according to the President's press service.

"In the last five years, more than 50 concessions and incentives have been granted in the fields of industry, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure. Notably, Karakalpakstan has been granted the exclusive right to direct land allocation for investment projects. The value of 50 infrastructure projects, worth over a billion soums, is being deducted," the report stated.

It was reported that over 2 trillion soums were retained by entrepreneurs during the period when these benefits were applied. Additionally, 44.5 trillion soums have been allocated to improve business infrastructure in the region. As a result, more than 25,000 new business entities have been established in recent years.

"Last year alone, over 1,400 projects worth $345 million were implemented, creating more than 10,000 new jobs. In the first half of this year, $730 million in foreign investment was attracted," the statement added.

Furthermore, 10 solar and wind power plants with a combined capacity of 2.6 gigawatts have been commissioned in recent years, funded by $2 billion in investment. By the end of the year, an additional 1.5 gigawatts of capacity will be connected to the grid, raising the share of "green" energy to 15%. Additionally, 32 "green" projects with a total capacity of 18.6 gigawatts and a combined cost of $19 billion are currently under development.

The President emphasized Karakalpakstan's significant contribution to these efforts. According to reputable research institutes, Karakalpakstan has the potential to generate 680 gigawatts of solar energy and 120 gigawatts of wind energy.

By 2030, 10 large wind power plants with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts are planned to be built in Karakalpakstan, backed by $11 billion in direct investment. Once fully operational, these projects are expected to generate 35 billion kilowatt-hours of "green" energy annually.

"To ensure stability in power transmission, three electricity storage systems with a total capacity of 400 megawatts will be constructed in Kungirot, Beruniy, and Karaozak districts," the report highlighted.

Construction on several of these projects is beginning today. The first project is a 1-gigawatt wind power plant worth $1.2 billion, to be built by the Chinese company Sany Renewable in Kungirot district. The second project is a 200-megawatt wind power plant with a 100-megawatt electricity storage system, valued at $250 million, to be established in Beruniy and Karaozak districts in collaboration with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power.

These projects are expected to produce "green" energy equivalent to 4.2 billion kilowatt-hours per year, sufficient to meet the annual consumption of 1.75 million households. This will save approximately 1.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas and reduce atmospheric pollution by around 2 million tons.

Simultaneously, the construction of facilities for producing wind turbine parts, towers, and blades is starting in the Kungirot district. As a result, the production of 1,000 megawatts of wind turbine parts and 120 towers per year will be localized, creating $100 million worth of import substitutes.

In addition, the production of 20 million heating radiators annually will be launched in the Nukus district, with an investment of $24 million.

The improvement of cities and districts and the creation of decent living conditions for residents are also being prioritized. Currently, 12 projects worth $62 million are being launched in the fields of industry, agriculture, tourism, and services. At the ceremony, two of these projects — large shopping complexes in Beruniy district and Nukus city — were officially opened.

The head of state pressed the symbolic button to initiate the construction and operation of these new facilities, congratulating everyone on these projects of great significance to the country's economy.