China Central Asia Energy Cooperation opens up new areas

On March 25th, on the occasion of the most solemn traditional festival in Central Asia, the Nauruz Festival, China Energy Construction Corporation held a grand groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Lochi Energy Storage Project in Andijan Oblast, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's Minister of Energy Mirzamakhmudov, Chairman of China Energy Construction Gezhouba Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. Lin Xiaodan, and Governor of Andijan Oblast Abdulrahimonov attended the ceremony and delivered speeches. The implementation of large-scale energy storage project cooperation between China and Ukraine has opened up a new field of energy cooperation between China and Central Asia, which is of great significance for improving power supply in Central Asia and promoting the transformation of green energy in the region.

Mirzamakhmudov expressed gratitude to China Energy Construction Corporation for its deep participation in the investment and construction of new energy infrastructure in Uzbekistan in his speech. He stated that on the occasion of an important holiday in Uzbekistan, the timely commencement of energy storage projects is a sincere tribute from China Energy Construction Corporation to the people of Uzbekistan through practical actions. In recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Ukraine and China has deepened, providing broader space for Chinese enterprises to develop in Ukraine. It is hoped that CNEEC will take this project as a starting point, focus on the "New Uzbekistan" strategic plan, further give play to its investment advantages and green low-carbon energy technology advantages, bring more Chinese technologies, Chinese products and Chinese solutions to Uzbekistan, promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level, and inject new momentum into the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and the building of a community of shared future between China and Uzbekistan.

Lin Xiaodan, Chairman of China Energy Construction Gezhouba Overseas Investment Co., Ltd., stated that the Loqi Energy Storage Project, as a benchmark project in the industry, has international demonstration benefits. The smooth investment and construction of the project fully demonstrates the friendly partnership between China and Ukraine. China Energy Construction will take practical actions to implement the "the Belt and Road" initiative, actively participate in the construction of the "China Uzbekistan community of common destiny", and help the early realization of the transformation of "New Uzbekistan".

According to reporters, another Fergana Oblast Oz energy storage project invested by China Energy Construction in Uzbekistan also broke ground on the same day. The two energy storage projects are the first batch of large-scale electrochemical energy storage new energy projects in Uzbekistan that attract foreign investment. They are also the largest commercial energy storage projects independently invested and developed by Chinese enterprises overseas, with a total investment of 280 million US dollars. The configuration of a single project is 150MW/300MWh (total power of 150MW, total capacity of 300MWh), which can provide 600000 kWh of electricity per day for grid peak shaving. Electrochemical energy storage technology is an important technology and infrastructure for building a new type of power system, which plays a role in stabilizing grid frequency, alleviating grid congestion, and improving the flexibility of power generation and consumption. It is an important support for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Lin Xiaodan pointed out in an interview with Economic Daily that after the project is put into operation, it will effectively promote the development of green energy in Uzbekistan, enhance the stability and security of the local energy and power system, provide strong support for large-scale new energy grid connection, and make positive contributions to Uzbekistan's energy transformation and socio-economic development.

The smooth commencement of this energy storage project is another case of Chinese enterprises continuously exploring and advancing in the energy field in Central Asia. With numerous high-quality projects, Chinese enterprises rely on their comprehensive advantages in the entire industry chain to continuously cultivate regional markets and support the energy transformation and economic development of Central Asian countries. According to the latest data from China Energy News, as of the end of December 2023, China's direct investment stock in the five Central Asian countries exceeded 17 billion US dollars, and the cumulative completed engineering contracting turnover exceeded 60 billion US dollars, including many fields such as infrastructure, new energy, and oil and gas mining. Taking Uzbekistan as an example, China Energy Construction Corporation has invested and contracted a total of 8.1 billion US dollars in the country, covering not only new energy projects on the power generation side such as wind power and photovoltaics, but also modernization and upgrading projects on the power grid side such as energy storage and transmission and transformation. It can be said that Chinese enterprises are systematically assisting in solving the energy supply problems in Central Asia with "Chinese wisdom," "Chinese technology," and "Chinese solutions," continuously drawing a new blueprint for green energy transformation. (Lai Yi, reporter from Economic Daily in Tashkent)