Japan-based companies Sharp Corporation, Shigemitsu Souji Co., Ltd., and their Mongolian partner, Solar Power International LLC, has launched a three-party partnership, focusing on building Mongolia’s first large-scale solar PV power plant. The power plant will have an installation capacity of 10MW, and is expected to start construction by the end of July, 2016 before the scheduled commercial operation in late December in the same year.
The signing ceremony was completed by all three parties in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on July 18.
The PV project has been approved by the Financing Program for JCM Model Projects under the Joint Crediting Mechanism operated by the Ministry of Environment of Japan. JCM Model Projects is a government-supported scheme that aims to contribute to the sustainable development in developing countries, such as Mongolia, with Japan’s low-carbon technologies and products. Japanese government will be awarded specific carbon credit for their CO2 reduction target when reducing a certain portion of greenhouse gas emission in partner countries. To prompt such projects, Japanese government will grant financial support up to 50% of the relevant low carbon technologies and products.
Sharp will supply PV modules, inverters, mounting systems and other BOS for the 10MW project, which will be located in Darkhan, Mongolia. The project will cover a land of around 291,000m2 with Sharp’s design to bear the harsh climate conditions such as severe cold temperatures during the winter and snow.
Shigemitsu Shoji Co., Ltd. will support the joint management and operation of the solar power plant for the next 25 years with the help of their expertise on solar power plant operation based on their experiences in Japan. Sharp expects the PV power plant to generate approximately 14,182MWh of clean electricity, equal to offsetting 14,646 tons of CO2 emissions.