Technical and Economic Evaluation of 50 MW Solar Power Plant in Quetta /

Abstract

Universal electricity access is possible with the help of rural electrification which is considered to be a fundamental step to fight energy crises. By 2030, it is assumed that every individual will be able to get electricity access irrespective of their area i.e., city or remote area. Off-grid renewable energy is considered to be a solution for this problem because on-grid rural electrification will be costly. Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and facing worst energy crisis for the last two decades. In recent years the gap between demand and supply has multiplied and with increasing demand this situation has triggered a full power shutdown in urban areas for 10–12 hours and in rural areas for 16-18 hours. The prime objective of this study is to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of 50 MW solar farm in Quetta, Pakistan. Solar radiation data was collected from radiation device i.e., Tier 2 weather station with rotating shadow band Irradiometer that have been installed in the Baluchistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Sciences Quetta (BUITEMS Quetta) by the World Bank and the USAID. The devices collected data after every 10 minutes that were installed in the specified areas. The data was collected for one year and techno economical evaluation of the data was carried out. For the economic feasibility evaluation of the proposed plant the LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) model was used, and it is estimated that the energy produced by proposed power plant will cost 6 PKR/KWh. Technical evaluation of the power plant reveals that 91.980 GWh of electricity can be produced per year. At the capital cost of $59.689 M, O&M cost of $0.9M/yr, and 10.5498% discount rate, and the economical evaluation of proposed PV plant produces electricity at a rate of 0.0385 USD/kWh or 6.09 PKR/KWh. The results of this study depict that 50MW PV plant will be feasible for Quetta city. As the LCOE for this evaluation was three rupees less than minimum quotation of Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO)