Uzbekistani oil and gas company SEG has unveiled plans to transfer its oil and gas fields to host solar farms.
SEG is installing a pilot solar farm at its oil and gas training site in Karshi, which includes 44 solar panels that will generate 8KW of electricity to power all equipment used at the training site.
Post-completion of the pilot project and data analysis, SEG will make a further strategic decision on equipping its other remote oil and gas fields with solar panels.
This could involve up to 15 more fields being reconfigured to solar power, and to use the automated operational dispatch control (ASODU) system.
Commissioning of the solar station at the training site is scheduled for this month.
Further activities for the transition to renewable energy sources at the sites will be carried out by SEG in early 2023.
It is envisaged that the fields could become fully energy-independent and protected from conditions such as heavy winds and sandstorms, which can sometimes disrupt power supplies as overhead power lines become damaged.
Sergey Ryabov, Chief Engineer at SEG, said: “Uzbekistan is one of the sunniest countries in the world.
“It makes much sense to use this natural advantage to provide electricity, and we have deliberately chosen the Karshi training ground for the pilot project.
“Training at the site takes place during daylight hours – when solar generation is at its optimum.
“This means we can avoid using batteries at their maximum and ensure the site’s continued operations.
“We plan full-scale pilot tests of a solar power plant at the training site, following which we can determine the potential wider use of solar panels at SEG’s other production sites.”
SEG has two options for electricity provision at its remote sites, either using petroleum gas, or the energy of the sun.
Ryabov added: “The relatively low cost of solar panels is offset by the cost of restoring electricity when power lines are damaged by weather events.
“With solar power, we can achieve around-the-clock and trouble-free power for the company’s fields – in line with the state’s programme to improve the efficiency of oil production.”