International downstream player Conergy is to build Indonesia's first utility-scale PV plants and says it has closed deals for another 228MW of projects across Southeast Asia.
The company today said it would build three 1MW projects with local partners PT Buana Energy Surya Persada and PT Indo Solusi Utama at separate locations in the East Nusa Tenggara of Indonesia.
Conergy said nearly half the residents of Sumba Island in East Nusa Tenggara, one of the three sites for the plants, lack access to reliable power, while those that have electricity source it from costly diesel generators.
The three plants it will build will collectively generate 4,200MWh of power a year, according to Conergy.
Conergy will be responsible for the engineering, planning, design, equipment procurement and long-term maintenance of the three solar installations. PT Buana Energy Surya Persada and PT Indo Solusi Utama will handle on-the-ground construction. The projects are expected to be completed and be fully operational in the first half of 2016.
Meanwhile, the company said it had signed contracts for a further swathe of projects in the region, including over 200MW in the Philippines and 27MW in Thailand.
In the Philippines, the portfolio includes 62MWp in Negros Island, 50MWp in Tarlac, 13MWp in Pampanga, 18MWp in Bais Negros, 15MWp in Bulacan and 43MWp at two locations in Luzon and Visayas.
In Thailand the company will build an 8MW project in Sa Kaeo province and three others totaling 19MW in Prachinburi. The project will be owned by Symbior Solar.
"Southeast Asia is an ideal location for solar because of their year-round sunshine and abundance of space that is suitable for solar," said Andrew de Pass, CEO of Conergy.
With its new projects, Conergy said it expected to complete 400MW of PV (http://www.renesola.com/) in Southeast Asia by the first quarter of 2016.