EPC awarded for $42.9 M solar and hybrid projects
A Chinese state-owned company has been contracted to build Guinea-Bissau’s first large scale photovoltaic project, the Gardete solar power plant.
Africa
Africa, Guinea-Bissau: A Chinese state-owned company has been contracted to build Guinea-Bissau’s first large scale photovoltaic project, the Gardete solar power plant.
The African Biofuel and Renewable Energy Company which promotes renewables and energy efficiency in several countries, has awarded the contract to China’s hydropower entity, Sinohydro.
The large scale generation project will have a capacity of 20 MWp and forms part of a project that will also see the construction of two small solar-hybrid plants.
The entire solar and hybrid project is being financed by the Government of Guinea-Bissau with a $42.9 M loan from the West African Development Bank. This financing was granted as early as 2017.
The solar project, for which Sinohydro signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, involves three facilities. The first is a photovoltaic solar power plant to be built in Gardete, a town located 8 km from the capital city, Bissau.
The solar plant will sell power to the national utility EAGB under a long-term contract.
The facility will have a battery storage system to provide electricity to the inhabitants of Bissau and surrounding areas after sunset. Sinohydro will also provide a 30 kV line to transport the electricity to Bôr where it will be fed into the national grid via a substation.
Source: ESI Africa