As Bolivia’s first and largest solar power plant, a 5 MW system is expected to deliver clean energy to more than 49,000 people. It occupies 15 hectares (Ha) of land near the remote city of Cobija in the state of Pando, which has relied on diesel power generation because it is not connected to Bolivia’s national utility grid. EGSA (Empresa Electrica de Guaracachi S.A), a subsidiary of ENDE (Empresa Nacional de Electricidad), carried out preliminary studies and basic engineering for the project. Isotron, developer and EPC for the project installed more than 17,000 Yingli solar panels.
The new solar power system incorporates both battery storage and diesel generation to ensure continuous access to electricity. It is expected to generate 7,500 megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean power each year, meeting approximately 50% of regional demand. The power plant will offset more than 1.9 million liters of diesel fuel, which will result in significant energy cost savings for the Bolivian government.
“We are pleased to complete this project in partnership with Isotron of Bolivia, one of our long-term strategic partners. We believe this is a landmark reference project in Bolivia and globally due to its large scale, the combination of traditional power generation and energy storage with PV, and the number of connected consumers,” commented Mr. Fernando Calisalvo, Managing Director of Yingli Spain.
“Yingli proved to be a committed partner at every stage of this innovative project, which promises to be one of Latin America’s most influential and forward-looking energy facilities. We look forward to working with the Yingli team in the future, especially as PV becomes an increasingly important element of the energy mix in Bolivia and beyond,” noted Mr. Jose Antonio Alvarez, an ISASTUR Group Board Member.
“As Bolivia’s first large-scale solar power system, we expect that this project will have a transformative impact in the region. Thanks to the combination of solar PV, energy storage, and diesel fuel generation in a single large-scale power plant, thousands of individuals in Bolivia now have access to reliable, clean electricity, which opens up dramatic possibilities for business development, education, and community empowerment,” commented Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy.