Grodnoenergo to build solar power plant in 2014

The Grodno Oblast electrical company Grodnoenergo intends to build a solar power plant near the Grodno hydropower plant in 2014, BelTA learned from Vladimir Shaternik, Grodnoenergo Director General, during the media tour arranged for central state mass media and regional ones on 20 February.

The executive said: “It is a pilot project. It is interesting for us regardless of economic considerations. It is known that the terms offered to private companies are much more profitable for now as far as the construction of renewable energy sources is concerned. But from the point of view of saving organic fuel resources and the environmental effect the development of solar power engineering looks very promising. Our power plant will be small, but its construction will allow assessing whether such investments can be effective. Although it is obvious that the prime cost of solar energy is way lower than the energy generated by a cogeneration plant — $0.06 per 1kWh against $0.09-0.0095 per 1kWh. As a matter of principle, solar power plants have to be large, those are much more effective,” said the Director General.

The pilot solar power plant will be located at premises of the hydropower plant near the former construction camp and will occupy 0.8ha. The designed output capacity is expected to reach 300kW.

Grodnoenergo has already signed the contract for designing the power plant with the Belarusian Heat and Power Institute (BELTEI). The technical and economic feasibility studies will be prepared this year. Tenders to buy the necessary equipment will be held.

The project is supposed to return investments within 5-6 years while the service life of solar cells can be as long as 25 years. The power plant will require roughly Br1.2 billion to build. It will be the first project of the kind for Grodnoenergo. The company intends to implement it using its own resources.