Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 06

AsiaElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
AsiaElec
MWh, or 19% more than in the year-ago period and 12% more than in the preceding quarter.
According to Mercom Capital’s India Solar Project Tracker, solar accounted for 9.6%
of India’s total installed power generation capacity with almost 35.6 GW of PV parks connected to the grid at end-2019.
In spite of the overall improvement, the year-on-year increase was significantly lower than the 69% jump registered in the previous year. This was partly caused by the generally weak third quarter and the monsoons but was mostly due to the decreased power demand and the slowdown in capacity additions in the sector.
The installation pace in some parts of
the country is being hindered as developers face serious challenges such as curtailment issues in states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Gunkul Engineering buys
60MW of solar capacity in
Vietnam
Thai-based Gunkul Engineering has bought two solar power farms in Vietnam with a combined capacity of 60 MW.
The Tri Viet 1 Solar Power Plant and Bach Khoa A Chau 1 Solar Power Plant, each with a capacity of 30 MW, are operational since May
2019 and produce electricity under 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Vietnam Electricity.
Gunkul Engineering has acquired the solar parks through its subsidiary Bright Green Power Company Limited for a total price of $60.6mn.
Bright Green Power has bought 100% of Singapore An Yang Pte Ltd and Singapore Yun Yang Pte Ltd, which own the two solar parks, from Sungrow Power (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
The latest purchase is part of Gunkul Engineering’s plan to invest up to THB3bn ($95.9m) in solar projects in Vietnam.
Sembcorp to build 60MW
floating solar farm in
Singapore
Singapore’s national water agency PUB said on February 10 that it had appointed Sembcorp to construct a 60MW solar farm at the Tengeh Reservoir in Tuas which, when completed in 2021, could generate enough energy to power about 16,000 four-room Housing Board flats.
It is also expected to reduce carbon emissions here by around 32,000 tonnes per year.
UB said Sembcorp’s proposal, which beat those by three other local and overseas companies, uses “highly efficient” panels
and has a layout that maximises energy generation. It will have a capacity of 60MW, and will meet 7 per cent of PUB’s total energy needs.
PUB said in its statement that it will use the green energy converted from light at the panel in its water treatment processes.
The Tengeh Reservoir project was announced by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli at the Ecosperity Conference last year as part of Singapore’s strategy to tackle climate change.
He said in his speech then that “the status quo in the way we consume our resources and grow our economy is not sustainable” and that extreme weather phenomena caused by climate change will put increasing pressure on critical resources like food, energy and water.
The Government also said last year that by 2030, Singapore will ramp up its solar capacity to more than seven times of current levels to meet 4 per cent of Singapore’s total electricity demand.
Apart from greater use of solar energy,
Mr Masagos also said then that there are
plans to convert incinerated bottom ash into construction material and to use food waste as agricultural input on local farms.
Climate change has become an increasing concern among Singaporeans and the rest
of the world, with the Republic’s first climate rally –held last year at Hong Lim Park – attracting 2,000 people.
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Week 06 12•February•2020