Butwal Solar Power Project (8.5 MW) Connected To National Transmission Line
October 29, 2020 | Investopaper
Butwal Solar Power Project, Nepal’s first private sector-run grid-connected solar power project has been connected to connected to the national transmission line. Butwal Solar Power Project is 8.5 MW Grid Connected Solar Project located at Manigram in Rupandehi..
The project is the first large-scale solar project in the private sector to generate electricity from solar energy and connect it to the national transmission line. Ridi Hydropower Company has constructed the project in an area of 26 bighas in Tilotta Municipality-6 with an investment of Rs. 700 million.
The project is is connected to Amuwa substation near Bhairahawa. Butwal Solar Power Project, which was started last Mangsir, was targeted to generate electricity by completing it in Baisakh. However, it could not be completed on time due to problems in the management of necessary equipment and manpower due to the enforced lockdown by the government.
Butwal Solar Power Project was developed with 70 percent loan and 30 percent equity investment. Citizens Bank and Nepal Bangladesh Bank, led by Bank of Kathmandu, have invested Rs 490 million in the project.
Under the project, 32,000 solar panels with a capacity of 330 watts have been connected. From which 8.5 MW electricity will be generated. Ten inverters with a capacity of 850 kW have been connected to convert DC energy produced from solar panels into AC. A 8.5 MVA transformer will convert the electricity from the inverter into 33 kV and connect it to the national transmission line.
The plant will generate about nine hours of electricity daily. The project has stated that electricity will be generated from the solar plant only when the sun is shining since the batteries have not been installed. Electricity generated from solar is connected to Amuwa substation. Initially, there was an agreement to send electricity to Yogikuti substation, but it is being connected to Amuwa substation due to locals’ obstruction in the transmission line expansion. For that, the project had worked to extend 33 kV line.
The company has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nepal Electicity Authority (NEA) for 25 years at the rate of Rs 7.30 per unit. The project with supply 14.5 million units of electricity annually to NEA.
