Korea Western Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi energy company ACWA to jointly identify and pursue renewable energy projects in Central Asia, centered on Uzbekistan, becoming the first South Korean state-run power generator to enter the region’s renewable energy market. The agreement was signed in Tashkent on the 25th and announced on the 27th. Uzbekistan is expanding solar and wind generation to meet electricity demand linked to economic growth and industrialization, while investing in battery energy storage systems (BESS) to maintain grid stability as renewable capacity increases. Korea Western Power has won four power projects in the Middle East, where it is constructing and operating 3.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity and 877 megawatts of combined-cycle gas capacity. The partnership is also intended to help South Korean power and energy small and midsize enterprises connect their equipment and technologies to overseas projects and expand into Central Asia.