BISOL completes Kazakhstan's largest PV array
BISOL Group has completed the installation of a 2 megawatt ground mounted solar power plant in the city of Kapchagay in the Almaty Province. As the largest photovoltaic system in the country, it represents an important milestone in Kazakhstan's approach to the solar energy sources. It is also the only photovoltaic power plant partially constructed on solar trackers.
The project was commissioned by Samruk-Energo, Kazakhstan's power company, as a pilot project to encourage the use of solar energy in the country's energy mix. Based on previous experience with complex large-scale installations in other countries, BISOL Group was contracted as the EPC partner to deliver the turn-key PV system, including designing the power plant, procuring all necessary components and services from the local subcontractors and providing extensive training to Samruk Green's Operation & maintenance department responsible for managing the PV plant operation after the completion of the project.
The 2 MW solar system is partially constructed on fixed ground mounted support structure with a total power of 1.4 megawatts, while the remaining 600 kilowatts is mounted on dual axis solar trackers. With an expected energy yield of 1,258 kWh/kW for the fixed part and 1,488 kWh/kW for the trackers, the PV system is expected to produce 2.67 gigawatt hours of electricity each year, covering the energy demand of over 667 households and saving more than 1,602 tons of CO2 annually.
Almost 8,000 European-made BISOL Premium monocrystalline PV modules with 250 and 255 Wp power were installed on a very demanding terrain on the Kazakh steppe. The surface proved to be a great challenge for the construction work as it concealed solid rocks beneath a thin layer of soil into which the foundations had to be cemented. Due to the undulating terrain, the position of each individual segment of the fixed part of the PV power plant had to be carefully planned to ensure optimum energy yields and avoid shading, resulting in a terraced layout. In addition to building a 600 metre power line from the remote power station to the on-site power station, a second power line had to be relocated to allow enough space. BISOL Group's engineering team, that possess the expertise and extensive international experience in implementing various solar power projects, proved to be the right match for this challenging project.
The Kapchagay power plant will help cover the increasing energy demands in the Almaty Province. With up to 300 sunny days per year the South-East region of Kazakhstan presents an ideal location for harvesting solar energy. Although the country has so far directed most of its efforts in the field of renewable energy sources into wind energy, with more than 100 MWp of wind turbines already installed, there is an enormous potential for investments into solar energy. In addition, this is confirmed by the fact that the share of alternative renewable energy sources in Kazakhstan is expected to reach 30 per cent of total electricity generation by 2050. With the Expo 2017 Future energy event taking place in in Astana, the 2 MW Kapchagay solar power plant installed by BISOL represents an important milestone towards reaching these goals and sets a benchmark for further development of photovoltaics in the wider region.
