Myanmar connects its ‘first utility scale PV project’

Myanmar appears to have belatedly joined the solar revolution with the grid connection of its first utility scale PV project.

Chinese module supplier Jetion Solar announced yesterday it had supplied the panels for an initial, 50 MW phase of a solar farm in Minbu, in the Magway region.

Although other significant project announcements have been made in the country, Jiangsu-based Jetion, which supplied its JT PAg high-efficiency polycrystalline modules to the facility, yesterday described the project as reportedly the first large scale project in the nation.

The module and cell manufacturer said the Minbu project is set to be expanded to an eventual generation capacity of 170 MW.

Chinese state company for EPC

“In the northern part of Myanmar where the PV project is located, the performance and stability of solar modules in extreme high temperature conditions are very important,” said Zhao Honglei, senior VP of Jetion Solar in a press release published by the manufacturer about the facility on Friday.

Jetion said the 50 MW first phase at Minbu was connected at the end of June, having signed a power purchase agreement last year. Construction began late last year with the Myanmar unit of Thailand’s Green Earth Power acting as developer of the 200-acre site. State-owned entity the China Triumph International Engineering Co, Ltd provided engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and SMA was inverter supplier.

The scheme, which was developed on a build, own, transfer basis, will supply power to a reported 60,000 households in Magway with any excess power fed into Myanmar’s national grid.

No financial details of the project were revealed by Jetion, which stated only that the Minbu facility was “implemented through foreign investment”.