Kazakhstan has awarded 170MW of PV in its first solar auction with winning prices ranging between KZT 18.6-22.9 (US$0.051-0.063)/kWh.
A total of 20 companies submitted 28 applications for projects of capacity between 10-100MW. The ceiling price for the auction was KZT 32/kWh.
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The results released by Kazakhstan Electricity and Power Market Operator (JSC KOREM) were as follows:
| Bidder | price KZT/kWh | price US$/kWh | Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSC Hydroenergy | 18.6 | 0.0508 | 50 |
| Avelar Solar Technology | 18.8 | 0.0514 | 20 |
| Avelar Solar Technology | 22.5 | 0.0615 | 50 |
| Shell Kazakhstan B.V. Branch | 22.9 | 0.0625 | 50 |
Avelar Solar Technology, part of Russian firm Hevel Group, secured 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 70MW of solar in southern Kazakhstan for which commissioning is set for 2019/20.
In a release, Igor Shakhray, CEO of Hevel Group, said: “This tender was a highly competitive one and our victory means that we have entered an international market not only as PV modules supplier, but also as a power company competing with major international players. CAPEX of solar power plants in Russia after the last bidding round is already at a competitive level and we will continue to decline it by investing in R&D, developing new advanced technologies and launching new products.”
JSC KOREM has plans to hold auctions this year for in total: 290MW of solar, 620MW of wind, 75MW of hydro and 15MW of bio power.
In other news, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing US$35 million in project financing for a new 28MW solar plant in Kyzylorda in southern Kazakhstan. The solar park project will be implemented by Nomad Solar, a special purpose company incorporated in Kazakhstan and owned by French company Total Eren and the UAE-based firm Access Infra Central Asia. The respective loan and project support agreements were signed yesterday in Brussels.
