Pakistan Solar Park Plugs In 100 MW To Grid
Originally published on Solar Love.
With the first phase of a 1 gigawatt (GW) solar PV park recently
connected to the national grid of Pakistan, 100 MW of solar power
capacity is now supplying the country with clean electricity. Not
content to sit back and relax, phase two of Pakistan’s enterprising
solar park is now underway.
Established and owned by the government of Punjab, Pakistan, the 1 GW
Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is located on 2,630 hectares (6,500 acres) of
desert and is being run by private firm Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Company
(QA Solar).
Phase One Is Up & Running
The first 100 MW phase of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park has been connected to the grid
in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. The pilot project of the 1 GW Solar
Park located near Bahawalpur was officially inaugurated on April 20,
2015, in a ceremony attended by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz
Sharif and Chinese President, Xi Jinping. Now the 100 MW solar power
plant is officially up and running, supplying critically needed solar energy to the Muslim nation.
The completion of the QA Solar Park Phase 1 comes just weeks after
the installation of a Yingli 1 MW solar PV array on the rooftop of Pakistan’s Parliament House, fully funded by the government of China.
Pakistan’s Quaid-e-Azam Solar PV Park
With a reported cost of Pakistan Rs 15 billion ($23.7 million), 6,500
acres of land is dedicated to the 1 GW Quaid-e-Azam Solar PV park.
Tasked with generating renewable energy, especially solar power, QA Solar has installed the initial 100 MW pilot plant on 500 acres.
With the new pilot plant now exporting electricity to the national grid of Pakistan, QA Solar launched
its second phase of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar PV park. China-based TBEA
SunOasis will provide the engineering, procurement, and construction
(EPC) for the second phase, as well as the operation and maintenance
(O&M) for the project.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif recently attended the official
launch of Phase Two, which will account for another 300 MW to be
installed by the end of 2015. An additional 600 MW is scheduled to be
installed by the end of 2016. This will bring the total installation of
solar projects at Pakistan’s QA Solar Park to 1 GW by the end of 2016.
The Favorable Solar Environment of Pakistan
Perfect for solar development, Pakistan enjoys up to 3,000 hours of
sunshine a year. Combined with favorable legislative policies, the
government is focusing its efforts on encouraging private sector
investment in renewables, including:
• Tax and custom duty exemptions
• Approval of grid-connected solar energy
• A new national net metering program
• A funding scheme for homeowners to borrow against their mortgage for solar installations
• Approval of grid-connected solar energy
• A new national net metering program
• A funding scheme for homeowners to borrow against their mortgage for solar installations
 |
| Picture Credits: Top — A drone image of the 100 MW PV plant. Bottom — China’s Xi Jinping and Pakistan’s Sharif. |
Facing a 6 GW power shortfall, Pakistan is encouraging development in renewable energy projects, including in the hydro, wind, and solar power sectors. Described as the most investment-friendly nation in South Asia, in 2013, the Pakistan Government introduced new investment policies aimed at strengthening trade relations by streamlining administrative processes, and reducing business costs.
Courtesy: Cleantechnica
