- The 100 MW Saran Solar Project has come online in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region
- A new substation had to be built to evacuate and deliver power generated by this plant to the grid
- Germany’s Joachim Goldbeck created a special purpose vehicle called SES Saran LLP to develop this project
German project developer Joachim Goldbeck Holding GmbH has commissioned a 100 MW solar power project in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region through a special purpose company called SES Saran LLP. The project is the ‘largest in Central Asia’, according to the local government of Karaganda.
The project was built by Enerparc on an area of 164 hectares with 307,000 solar PV panels with no metal borders, hence no snow accumulates on these. The expected lifetime is 40 years. For the power generated by this project, a new substation was built.
The $137 million Saran Solar Power Plant secured $73.5 million financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) in November 2018 (see EBRD & GCF Back 100 MW Kazakh PV Plant).
Two more solar power projects with a total capacity of 90 MW are also being constructed in the region, the government declared without sharing any details.
Kazakhstan had a successful first solar auction in October 2018 when it awarded 170 MW capacity to energy heavyweight Shell and Russian PV company Hevel Solar, among others (see Kazakhstan Awards 170 MW PV In 1st Solar Auction).
