BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. France has welcomed the opening of the 126-megawatt Sarimay solar power plant in Uzbekistan’s Khorezm region, describing the project as a flagship example of French-Uzbek energy cooperation on Sept.19.
This was reflected in the statement by the French Embassy in Uzbekistan.
According to the information, the Embassy congratulated French renewable energy company Voltalia and its Uzbek and international partners on the launch of the solar facility.
The embassy said the plant will provide electricity to more than 60,000 people, highlighting the project’s contribution to Uzbekistan’s energy transition. The Sarimay plant was developed as part of cooperation between France and Uzbekistan in the energy sector and was implemented with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The French Embassy praised the speed with which the project was developed and brought into operation, as well as the attention given to its environmental and social impact.
Moreover, the embassy described the facility as a flagship project of French-Uzbek cooperation in the energy sector and said its launch demonstrates the commitment of French companies to supporting Uzbekistan’s transition toward cleaner energy.
“Congratulations to the Voltalia teams and all their Uzbek and international partners on this remarkable joint success,” the French Embassy said.
The Sarimay plant is part of a broader portfolio of Uzbekistan-France energy projects, which exceeded $4 billion as of July, according to Uzbekistan’s Energy Ministry. Three major projects involving French companies were then valued at about $2 billion, while six additional prospective projects were estimated at $1.8 billion.
According to Trend’s calculations, the $4 billion Uzbekistan-France energy portfolio reported in July was more than 31 times the 126 MW capacity of the Sarimay solar plant when comparing the headline investment figure with the plant’s generation capacity. The three major French projects valued at about $2 billion accounted for roughly 50% of the overall portfolio, while the six prospective projects worth $1.8 billion represented another 45%. Together, these nine projects made up about 95% of the reported portfolio value.
French companies are involved in both conventional and renewable energy projects in Uzbekistan. EDF is participating in projects to develop combined-cycle gas turbine power plants in the Syrdarya and Surkhandarya regions with a combined capacity of more than 3.1 gigawatts. TotalEnergies and Voltalia are involved in renewable energy projects, including solar and wind generation and energy storage systems.
Earlier discussions between Uzbek and French officials also covered high-voltage transmission networks, energy storage, modern energy infrastructure, gas transportation infrastructure, energy efficiency, digital technologies, engineering cooperation, and specialist training.
