Mongolia tenders 10 MW solar plant

Mongolia’s Ministry of Energy is seeking contractors to develop and construct a 10 MW solar power plant in Khovd, the capital of the province of the same name in the westernmost part of the country.

The project is backed by the World Bank’s International Development Association, which offers concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest countries.

The selected developers will also be required to build a 35/110 kV substation and a 110 kV overhead transmission line to connect to the nearby Myangad substation and will provide operations and maintenance services for three years after the solar project is commissioned.

Developers have until November 15 to submit their bids.

The story so far

Mongolia’s installed PV capacity stood at just 63 MW at the end of last year, according to statistics published by the International Renewable Energy Agency. Most of that capacity is made up of solar parks of a similar size to the latest tender and procured by the Mongolian government. They include a 16.4 MW project commissioned by Sharp Corporation in June, a 16.5 MW (DC) array in Zamyn Uud, Dornogovi aimag which was also completed by Sharp last year and a 10 MW plant in the second city of Darkhan. This year the Green Climate Fund and Mongolia’s XacBank announced completion of a 10 MW solar plant in Govisümber aimag.

All of those projects are selling power to the grid and receive feed-in premiums – added on top of the market energy price – through long-term power purchase agreements.

Other projects under development include a 30 MW facility in the Gobi Desert region supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and partners, and a 20 MW solar park for Dornogovi.