Lebanon is inviting interested solar power project developers to bid for up to 300 MW of solar power capacity in the country. The national energy agency, the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), has issued an expression of interest (EOI) round for 3 PV farms with battery storage adding 210 to 300 MW of capacity.
"In each project, the minimum power capacity of a given PV farm is 70 MW and the maximum power capacity is 100 MW with battery energy storage of a minimum of 70 MWh of storage capacity, regardless of the PV sizing," stated the EOI.
This capacity may be developed on sites selected by the developers throughout the country.
The scope of work reportedly includes arranging finance, developing and acquiring land, and designing the project on a build-own-operate basis for the project as well as for the battery energy storage component. Once these are commissioned, the projects will deliver electricity to local utility EdL.
All interested bidders need to submit documents by July 12. Once the applications are screened, the agency expects shortlisted companies to offer quotes through a request for proposal (RFP) round. Details about the tender are available on the LCEC's website.
In October 2017, the center awarded 180 MW of solar power capacity in the form of 12 bids, each with a capacity between 10 and 15 MW.
The country depends on imported oil for its energy production, which it generates through thermal and hydroelectric power. Suffering from load shedding, technical losses and aging power plants has now made it look beyond traditional sources of energy.