Brunei Solar Power (Tenaga Suria Brunei)

Last Thursday on 26 May 2011, His Majesty consented to officially open the Tenaga Suria Brunei power station. Many people who saw the news now know Brunei has a solar power experimental power plant capable of producing some 1.2 MW or powering about 200 houses. I thought I will upload the information on the booklet that came with the launching of the TSB as follows:-

Tenaga Suria Brunei Photovoltaic Power Generation Demonstration Project is a joint project of the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and Mitsubishi Corporation. The project is fully funded by Mitsubishi Corporation in support of Brunei Darussalam sustainable development efforts through the introduction and utilization of new, alternative and renewable energy. (I have been told that the project cost some $20 million.)

The objectives of TSB Demonstration Project are:

* To identify the most suitable and high performance PV technology for the local meteorological conditions

* To develop capacity building including technical expertise

* To increase public awareness of new, alternataive and renewable energy

* To accumulate data that can be used to assist the Government in formulating policies on renewable energy

* To demonstrate Brunei's committment to wards developing and promoting new and renewable energy

The TSB PV system, with a nominal capacity of 1.2 MW, comprising of six different types of advanced PV modules, namely single-crystalline silicon, poly-crystalline silicon, microcrystalline-Si tandem, amorphous silicon, CIS (copper-indium-selenium), and HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer) has been installed at the site of the old Seria Power Station in Belait District.


Although output variew depending on meteorological conditions, generally TSB is designed to generate some 1,344 megawatt-hours of electricity per year enough to provide electricity to 200 homes. Each year the plant is expected to save some 340,000 litres of crude oil and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 960 tonnes, equivalent to the CO2 absorption power of 260 hectares of forest.

During the 3 years project period:

* Operation and maintenance of the TSB plant will be jointly conducted by Department of Electrical Services Brunei and Mitsubishi Corporation, supported by Japan AE Power Systems

* Data acquired over a period of 3 years will be evaluated and analysed and used by the Government in considering the implementation of additional photovoltaic power generation plants in Brunei

* The data collected will also be evaluated and analysed in order to identify the performance characteristics of each of the six different types of PV panels in order to identify the best performing PV under local conditions

* Mitsubishi Corporation will provide DES personnel with technical expertise on operating and maintaining PV power generation plants. This will be done through on-the-job training and capacity building classes

* The TSB Project aims to increase public awareness on clean and renewable energy and to promote understanding of the PV system by hosting seminars and technical presentations.