The first green hydrogen projects have been announced in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, with an initial pilot project put on a “fast-track” for development by the government.
The unnamed scheme — producing 3,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year for an existing ammonia production facility in the city of Chirchiq, 45km from the capital, Tashkent — has been put on an “accelerated development timeline”, with commissioning set for the end of next year.
A far larger project is set to follow, producing 500,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually.
The two schemes will be a collaboration between the country’s Ministry of Energy, state-owned chemical company Uzkimyosanoat and Saudi electricity generator ACWA Power, which have signed “extensive heads of terms agreements”.
“While we take pride in getting this initiative off the ground on [a] fast-track basis, we aim to ensure our readiness and establish the right framework and policies that will serve as the foundation for accelerating the development of green hydrogen projects in the future,” said energy minister Jurabek Mirzamahmudov, adding that Uzbekistan “fully support[s] the integration of green hydrogen and its derivatives, which will serve the energy vision of our country”.
ACWA will oversee the initial pilot project, including its integration into the Chirchiq plant, which currently produces ammonia from unabated natural gas.
A feasibility study into the larger facility — which would reduce Uzbekistan’s reliance on natural gas by 600 million cubic metres a year, or about 1.5% of its annual gas consumption — is due to be completed by the end of 2024.
ACWA already has five existing projects in Uzbekistan — four wind farms and a combined gas cycle power plant.
