• NEPRA in Pakistan is considering granting power generation license for 3 proposals with combined capacity of 27.8 MW
  • K1 Solar Power has proposed to develop 15 MW Mankera Solar Farm in Punjab state using LONGi Solar’s bifacial solar modules; project is supported by Germany’s ib vogt and Miler Vermögensverwaltungs
  • Nizam Power is seeking to establish 7.72 MW combined capacity in Quetta using monocrystalline modules
  • Solis Energy will be deploying 5.06 MW of total capacity for textile factories of Zahidjee Textile Mills Limited (ZTML)

Bifacial solar modules are making their way into the budding solar power market of Pakistan as the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has accepted generation licence granting applications for 3 projects out of which one will use LONGi Solar’s bifacial technology. The regulator is seeking comments from stakeholders on granting approval to these projects.

15 MW Mankera Solar Farm

Among the projects under consideration, K1 Solar Power Lahore (Private) Limited has shared plans for the largest capacity – a 15 MW DC/12.4 MW AC project in Mankera, in Punjab’s  Bhakkar district. It plans to use 41,580 LONGi Solar LR-6-72BP bifacial monocrystalline modules each with 360 W power rating.

The Mankera Solar Farm is expected to be commissioned within 6 months following financial close. It is expected to cost $14.576 million with 80% coming as debt and 20% equity. Power generated by the plant will be sold to Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited. Main sponsors of the project will be PV developer ib vogt GmbH and solar farm asset company Miler Vermögensverwaltungs GmbH, both from Germany.

7.72 MW grid tied project

Nizam Power Pvt Ltd (NPPL) is also in line for its PV project capacity of 7.722 MW to be developed in 2 parts – 4.076 MW and 3.646 MW, both in Quetta, Baluchistan. It proposes to use monocrystalline modules with 350 W power rating each, tied to Huawei inverters. Power generated will be fed into the grid of Quetta Electric Power Company.

5.06 MW for Faisalabad

Solis Energy Gen 1 (Private) Limited (SEGPL) is seeking NEPRA’s generation license for 5.06 MW of total capacity that it plans to develop for textile factories of Zahidjee Textile Mills Limited (ZTML) in Faisalabad district. It will set up the capacity at 3 sites for 5 separate units of ZTML using polycrystalline cell technology with each module having 325 W from an unidentified tier 1 manufacturer.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Pakistan’s total renewable energy capacity at the end of 2018 was over 13 GW, with solar contributing 12% or more than 1.5 GW (see Pakistan’s Cumulative Solar Capacity Tops 1.5 GW).