A Dream to Reality :

Pakistan’s first 100MW

Solar Power Plant PRESENTATION BY

KAZI ZULKADER SIDDIQUI

CEO, EMERGING ENERGY SYSTEMS AND SENIOR ADVISOR, TBEA CHINA

Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, Bahawalpur

100MWp Solar Power plant

Solar panels as far as you can see

Presentation Dedicated to

My buddy

My classmate during Matric and

Intermediate at Cadet College

Petaro

We passed out together in 1969

He was barely over 5 feet tall

when he left Petaro

Brig. Dr. Nasim Akhtar Khan

The Dreamer An unsung hero

True pioneer of solar and alternate energy in Pakistan

BE from NED in Electrical in 1974

MS in Energy Resources from Univ of Pittsburgh in 1983

PhD in Solar Energy from Colorado State University in 1992

Established solar lab at NUST EME College, Pindiin 1990s

Built tons of prototypes. Tested even in Siachin

Founding Secretary of AEDB in 2003

Vice Chancellor of Hamdard Univ where he established a dept of energy

How did it happen

Full marks to Govt of Punjab for the initiative

We presented concept paper to Chief Minister Punjab in May 2013 to set up 1000MW solar power plant

Highest quality products

Lowest possible price

Fastest execution time (months not years)

Financing available from China

Tariff would compete with other technologies and bring the basket price downwards

CM sent a professional team to China to study and evaluate

MOU signed with TBEA to meet the promise

Solar Park was established in Bahawalpur in Cholistan

International tenders were called for first 100MW plant after due pre-qualification process in which 12 international companies were pre-qualified

After competitive bidding, TBEA was awarded contract being the lowest qualified bidder and meeting requirements of due diligence

TBEA (company selected to

build the plant)

Largest Solar EPC company in the world

During 2014, TBEA constructed over 1,500MW of solar power plants

Largest manufacturer of transformers in the world, with capacity to

build the largest size transformers to highest standards

Largest manufacturer of cables in China

One of the two largest manufacturers of inverters in China

Own manufacturing of combiner boxes, solar panels

Own processing of silicon from silica sand

Own design institute for solar technologies

Current annual sales of over $ 8 billion

Bahawalpur

Quaid-e-

Azam Solar

Park

Cholistan

Bahawalpur

6.12 kWh/KW/day average at tilted flat plate

Some key features of

100MW Plant

500 acres of land for 100MW (out of 10,000 acres allotted to Solar Park of which 6,500 acres being developed for 1000 MW)

Infrastructure (access roads, boundary wall, water, transmission line, auxiliary power, security) provided by Govt of Punjab

Land provided on lease of 25 years at $1 per acre per year

Located around 10km from Bahawalpur airport

Flat land generally with some dunes

Solar Park will have eventual capacity of at least 1000MW.

Remaining 900MW will be installed by IPPs

Connected to grid at 132kV. Transmission line running through solar park

100MW Plant features

Design, engineering, supply, construction, testing and commissioning done by TBEA

Highest quality components (virtually the Rolls Royce of solar industry)

Quality control and monitoring done from pre-manufacturing, during manufacturing, upon arrival at site and after energization

Two German consultants for design control and two independent European testing agencies employed for tests

All equipment meets and exceeds IEC and other international standards

NTDC requirements and standards complied

Performance guarantees over 25 years

392,158 solar modules of 255W each

Nearly 10,000 arrays

100 inverters of 1MW each

100 transformers of 33kV – 1000 kVA

2 transformers of 132kV – 100 MVA

1400 combiner boxes

140,000 screw piles

Thousands of kilometers of cables

Main building

Switchgear building, SVC buildings, control building

Substation

DCS (monitoring system) and SCADA

Fast track to 100MW

Project Timeline

Jun 2014 – contract signed

Oct 2014 – first equipment arrives at site

Nov 2014 – construction and installation starts at site

Jan 2015 – construction and installation completed (3 months)

Feb 2015 – testing and commissioning

Mar 2015 – expected grid connection

EPC cost of $131.15 million (exclusive of taxes)

Total project cost estimated at $150 million

Solar Array

Combiner Box

33kV Transformer and Inverter – 1MW

Beyond the Horizon ……….

Nearly 400 acres utilized out of the 500

Each block is 1MW – There are 100 blocks

Structure uses screw piles. There are no

concrete foundations

Angle and space is calculated to maximize

power output and minimize shadows, and

leave space for maintenance

The main complex building in

between the panels

Main Complex

132kV Substation

33kV Switchgear

132kV – 100MVA Transformers

132kV Transmission Line – Running

right through the QA Solar Park

Monitoring System Cabinets

(DCS control & SCADA)

Monitoring System Cabinets

(DCS control & SCADA)

Control programming in progress

Cost of Electricity

Latest NEPRA Tariff (January 2015)

North Region – US cents 14.7588 to US cents 15.0279

South Region – US cents 14.1516 to US cents 14.4096

Above rates are maximum, with downwards adjustments for savings based on

Power produced in excess of capacity factor of 17.5% for North and 16.78% for South

Construction Period Interest

Plant Insurance

Loan interest rates (KIBOR / LIBOR plus)

Final rates paid to IPPs could be as low as 12 cents

Pakistan and issues for solar

technology Manufacturing

Solar panels (silica processing, ingots, wafers, cells, modules)

Inverters

Transformers / Switchgear, Substation Equipment

Structure

Cables, etc

Standardization and Test Laboratories

Systems design and engineering

Development of companies in engineering, consulting, execution, O&M and other services

R&D

Manpower training / Capacity building

Issue – Quality of Products

We are a cost conscious nation

Do not understand meaning of quality particularly in case of Solar Technologies

Most of the products entering Pakistan market are junk with claims of 25 year life or even performance. How do you ensure?

How do you recognize difference in quality? Case of top Chinese manufacturer with

Economy Model (made for Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka only)

Standard Model and

International Standard Model

Role of Government in ensuring quality

Some conclusive thoughts

IPPs will be set up under NEPRA tariff regime

Set up of standards for solar?

Set up of standardization and testing laboratories to ensure quality and certification?

Academics and R&D – capacity building

Explore natural resources for raw materials

Find investors who will invest into processing and manufacturing on large scale to produce quality and quantity

Develop consulting houses and engineering companies for design and execution

Examine how we can compete internationally without subsidies

Move away from off-grid systems to on-grid systems for homes and commercial applications with net metering