Chinese Government provides grant for 20MW solar power plant, 10MW battery, and 3MW diesel generator

Project narrative

In 2018, the Chinese Government provided a grant to the Government of Afghanistan for the construction of a 20MW solar power plant, a 10 MW battery, and a 3 MW diesel generator in Bamyan Province. The power plant, upon completion, will reportedly serve 20,000 customers in Bamyan Province. The size of this grant is unknown and the current implementation status of this project is unknown. The construction site of the project is located in Bamyan, Afghanistan, with a planned installed capacity of 100MWp. The first phase has 20MWp, and the project aims to provide green and reliable power to different local consumers (residents, businesses, supply industries and institutions), reduce the fossil fuel-based power load of the main grid, and ensure continuous renewable energy for consumers. In the fall of 2019, China Electronic Engineering Design Institute Co., Ltd. won the bid for the “Afghanistan Photovoltaic Power Generation Consulting Project” of the National Agency for International Development Cooperation. On November 20, 2019, in Kabul, the feasibility of the China-aided photovoltaic power generation project in Afghanistan was signed. The project plans to build a 20MW photovoltaic power station in Bamyan City, equipped with a 10MWh energy storage system and a 3MW diesel power generation system. Guangzhou International Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd. is responsible for the evaluation and consulting task of the photovoltaic power generation feasibility study in Afghanistan. In mid-November 2019, the company sent professional and technical personnel to participate in the project feasibility study group in accordance with the relevant provisions in the field, went to Afghanistan for 11 days of fieldwork, and participated in all tasks of the inspection team throughout the entire process, including needs surveys, basic data collection, site surveys, and the formation of a summary of talks with the competent authorities of the recipient country on the preliminary plan of the project.