The Bolivian government has chosen German engineering firm DEEA Solutions to carry out a feasibility study for what would be the country’s first grid-connected PV power plant.
The US$250,000 study will examine siting and design options for a 20MW plant in the department of Oruro in the west of the country.
Upon completion the proposed plant would be connected to Bolivia’s National Interconnected System, the country’s main grid, according to a statement published by the official news service of Bolivia’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy.
Bolivian energy minister Luis Alberto Sanchez said the estimated cost of the plant would US$45 million, without giving detail on how the plant would be funded or supported.
The proposed location lies within the elevated Altiplano region, where solar resources are strong, the ministry said.
The statement said one 5MW off-grid PV power plant built last year in Bolivia had shown promising results.
