Recently, First Solar, the world's leading maker of solar photovoltaic modules, announced that it will provide modules for a 100-megawatt (AC) photovoltaic project developed by Zorlu Enerji in Pakistan.
The project, part of the Quaid-e-Azam solar park in Punjab province, will include 860,000 modules and is expected to be completed and connected to the grid in the first half of 2018.
The plant has a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Pakistan Central Electricity Purchasing Agency, which generates approximately 180 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to about 140,000 homes.
In the country, Zorlu Enerji also owns a 56.4 MW wind farm completed in 2013.
CEO of Zorlu Enerji said, 'We believe First Solar's advanced PV modules will flourish in the desert environment of Bahawalpur, providing over 8% more energy than traditional crystalline silicon panels and have successfully bid for PPA. We also believe it will set a new benchmark for solar energy in Pakistan and meet the standards set by our award-winning Jhimpir wind farm, which undoubtedly marks a new milestone in Pakistan's development of utility-scale solar. "