UAE's renewables major Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has awarded a contract to Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology to supply wind turbines for one of the largest wind project in Central Asia.

Goldwind said in a statement on Friday it will provide 111 units of its GW155-4.5MW turbine for the 500-MW Zarafshan wind project in Uzbekistan. It didn't disclose the contract value.

Project delivery will start in the third quarter of 2022 and is due to be completed by the end of 2024, said Goldwind. The company first entered the market through the 750kW wind power project in Uzbekistan in 2012 under China's Belt and Road initiative.

Located in the Navoi region in central Uzbekistan, the Zarafshan project achieved financial close at the end of August.

The project is expected to attract foreign direct investment of more than $600 million and is part of Uzbekistan’s effort to meet 25% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by the end of the decade.

(Writing by Brinda Darasha brinda.darasha@lseg.com; editing by Daniel Luiz)