Page 9 - AsiaElec Week 01 2023

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

ACWA Power to build solar

plants in Bangladesh

INDIA
SAUDI Arabia’s ACWA Power has signed a Of this, 358.63MWe is connected to the grid
non-binding Memorandum of Understanding and the rest of the capacity has been developed in
with the Bangladesh Power Development Board off-grid isolated areas. Bangladesh’s total on-grid
(BPDB) to build 1GWe of solar plants in several electricity generation capacity now stands at
regions of Bangladesh. 22,512MWe.
ACWA Power will provide technological and The government of Prime Minister Sheikh
financial support for the projects, while BPDB Hasina Wazed is starting to look to some of its
will offer administrative support. ACWA Power larger East Asian neighbours for aid in meeting
will develop the facilities as independent power a pledge given at the COP26 Climate Summit in
producer (IPP) projects. Glasgow in 2021.
The BPDB is the state-owned single buyer of Bangladesh promised to source 40% of its
electricity from public and private producers, electricity from renewable energy sources by the
while ACWA Power is a global leader in water year 2041.
desalination and power generation. To do so would mean a huge shift away from
Bangladesh State Minister for Power, Energy its current energy sources of gas, coal and oil.
and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said But to get anywhere near achieving the pledge
ACWA’s investment and technology will help given in Glasgow, Dhaka needs to secure funds
Bangladesh achieve its clean energy goal of 2041. in the region of $80bn-100bn; a sum almost
“The government has been working in a coor- impossible to find at home in one of South Asia’s
dinated manner to promote renewable energy. most impoverished nations.
The state-owned Sustainable and Renewable The country is also building the Rooppur
Energy Development Authority [Sreda] is pro- NPP with Russian funding and technology. It
viding necessary technological support and con- will comprise two VVER-1200 reactors: Roop-
sultations,” he noted. pur 1 is scheduled to start operating 2023, fol-
At present, Bangladesh has developed a lowed by Rooppur 2 in 2024.™
capacity to generate 714.87MWe solar power.

Masdar, PowerChina, Volatilia win

500-MW tender in Uzbekistan

INDIA UZBEKISTAN’S energy ministry has unveiled a project in the Khorezm region. Its bid was
the winners of a solar tender held in September. $0.02888/kWh.
The procurement exercise was for three solar Some 11 bidders were initially selected for the
projects with a total of 500 MW in the Naman- final phase of the tender. The list also included
gan, Bukhara and Khorezm regions. Chinese solar developer Jinko Power, Saudi Ara-
Abu Dhabi-based developer Masdar secured bian utility ACWA Power, Turkey’s Alarko Hold-
the project in the Bukhara region with a bid of ing AS, and Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric.
$0.03044/kWh. The region’s 250 MW plant will The government aims to deploy 8 GW of
be connected to a 62 MW storage facility. solar by 2030. According to the International
A consortium led by PowerChina won a 150 Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the coun-
MW project in eastern Namangan region. The try had only installed 104 MW of solar by the
group offered a final price of $0.04828/kWh. end of 2021.™
French developer Voltalia will implement

Week 01 03•January•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P9