The $107 million Laleia Solar Photovoltaic Project aims to boost national energy security and significantly reduce government expenditure on imported fuel.
Laleia Solar Photovoltaic Project to help Timor-Leste curb fuel reliance
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Timor-Leste has commenced work on a significant US$107 million solar energy initiative, marking a key development in the nation’s push for energy security. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão laid the foundation stone on Thursday for the Laleia Solar Photovoltaic Project, situated in the Manatuto Municipality on the country’s north coast.
Expected to take two years to complete, the Laleia Solar Photovoltaic Project is described as one of the largest private investments in the history of Timor-Leste, according to a Portuguese media report. The government anticipates the project will slash annual spending on fuel for electricity generation by between US$25 million and US$30 million, helping to mitigate the impact of volatile international fuel prices and global supply disruptions.
Laleia Solar Photovoltaic Project: capacity
The project will feature a generation capacity of 72 megawatts (MW) alongside a 36 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system. This infrastructure is intended to provide the national grid with additional power while reducing the country’s dependence on costly fossil fuel imports.
“We need to diversify our energy sources and reduce our dependence on imported fuels,” Prime Minister Gusmão remarked at the ceremony. “By developing solar energy with battery storage, we will make our electricity system more diversified and more resilient.”
[See more: Singapore to open key sectors to workers from Timor-Leste]
The Laleia Solar Photovoltaic Project is being delivered by Manatuto Renewable Power, a joint venture established by Japan’s Itochu Corporation and France’s EDF. The private consortium will finance, construct, and maintain the facility, with the generated electricity supplied to the national utility company, Electricidade de Timor-Leste.
