Unigreen Energy to invest 65 bln rubles in construction of 650 MW solar power plant in Amur region

BLAGOVESHCHENSK. May 23 (Interfax) - Unigreen Energy has announced its intention to build a solar power plant in the Amur region with an annual electricity output of up to 1 billion kWh.

The company signed a letter of intent with the regional authorities on the sidelines of the Russian-Chinese AmurExpo economic forum on Friday.

The SPP will have a capacity of around 650 MW, and the project is estimated at 65 billion rubles, the forum's press service said.

The construction of the new power plant, capable of generating around 1 billion kWh of electricity annually, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. It is anticipated that it will reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 358,000 tonnes.

"This project is the largest by capacity not only in Russia but also in the CIS. I am confident that the experience of our team in working with the government of the Amur region will allow us to complete the construction on time and reduce the energy deficit in the Far East," Unigreen Energy General Director Igor Shakhrai was quoted as saying.

The project envisions the use of Russian equipment, including advanced technologies for solar modules, transformers and software.

The company told Interfax that this would not be Unigreen Energy's first solar power plant project in the Far East: the 50 MW Dzhidinskaya SPP and the 52 MW Novobichurskaya SPP are operating in Buryatia, and the 60 MW Borzinskaya SPP is operating in the Trans-Baikal territory.

Unigreen Energy is carrying out renewable energy projects in Africa, the CIS, Asia and Latin America. Its portfolio of projects for constructing renewable generation amounts to around 1.5 GW.

The Amur region is characterized by high potential for solar energy use, with an average of 310 sunny days per year and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually.