Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park
Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park | |
---|---|
Country | Pakistan |
Location | Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan |
Status | First 100MW under-construction |
Commission date | 2015 |
Owner(s) | Government of Punjab, Pakistan, Bank of Punjab |
Operator(s) | Tebian Electric Apparatus Co Ltd / TBEA Xinjiang SunOasis Co Ltd |
Solar farm | |
Type | Flat-panel PV |
Site area | 5000 acres |
Power generation | |
Nameplate capacity |
100 MW 1000 MW (planned)[1][2] |
The Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is planned to be a 1,000-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. The first 100-megawatt (MW) is under construction and is scheduled to be connected to the grid in April 2015.[3] The renewable energy power project fueled by solar energy is named after Quaid-e-Azam, the founder of Pakistan. It is the first ever utility scale solar power plant in the country. Once completed, it will be Pakistan's largest and one of the largest in the world.
The first 100MW project is owned 100% by the government of Punjab, Bank of Punjab. The turnkey contractor for the project is Tebian Electric Apparatus (TBEA) Xinjiang SunOasis Co. Ltd. [1][2] The installation of the plant was completed within a record time of 3 months (Nov 2014 to Jan 2015), and it is currently under testing and commissioning.
The 100MW solar power plant comprises of the PV area and a 100MVA substation. The electrical output is being connected to a 132kV transmission line that runs through the Solar Park. Currently the transmission line has a capacity of up to 400MW and the utility company is in the process of upgrading its capacity to 1000MW.
The project is expected to start generating 100 MW of power by April 2015 & 1,000 MW by the end of 2016. The project comprises 400,000 solar panels and was built for a cost of about $ 131 Million. Once completed, the project will generate more than the current 550 MW installed capacity in the Topaz Solar Farm and the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in California. The project's expected completion in 2016 would made it the largest photovoltaic power station. [3]
The government has invited investors to invest here for the balance 900 megawatts, in which several local and international companies will establish projects.[4][5] Several domestic and international investors have been granted LOIs to start the process of establishment of solar plants on IPP (independent power producer) basis.
The Government of Pakistan announced a new upfront feed in tariff for solar power plants in January 2015, where the investors will be able to sell electricity to the national grid at between 14 to 15 US cents per kWh. The announcement of this tariff and the completion of the first 100MW at Bahawalpur has caused a great interest on the part of investors.
See also
- Energy Department (Punjab, Pakistan)
- List of power stations in Pakistan
- List of photovoltaic power stations
- List of dams and reservoirs in Pakistan
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Alternate energy: Pakistan’s first solar park rolled out". The Express Tribune. 10 May 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park approved". The Nation.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park: Solar energy’s 100MW to arrive in April". The Express Tribune. 27 March 2015.
- ↑ "100mw Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park to be role model in energy sector: CM". The News International, Pakistan. 14 January 2014.
- ↑ "Pakistan plans huge desert solar park to fight energy crisis". The Express Tribune. 20 April 2014.
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