Advanced Renewable Energy Technology Demonstration

Client: Asian Development Bank

Duration: 2019-present

Location: Maerkang, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, PRC

Contract Value: USD 605,546

Catalogue: Energy

Project Description

The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) increases the readiness of the Government of Aba Prefecture for investments in climate-resilient distributed heating based on renewable energy in Barkam County in Sichuan Province. The TA will assist the local government in developing knowledge about and preparing a pre-feasibility study on renewable energy-based climate-resilient distributed heating systems. The renewable energy-based distributed heating solution is the first of its kind in high-altitude regions in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with a large potential to be scaled up and duplicated to other regions in the country, particularly providing valuable experience to existing heating system renovation in the northern PRC.

This project is to develop a renewable energy-based distributed heating system, which seeks technically feasible, commercially viable, affordable, and sustainable solutions for renewable energy-based distributed heating with adequate degree of flexibility and robustness that allows for future adaptation to uncertainties related to climate change and socioeconomic development. The two project outputs are: (i) pre-feasibility study report on renewable energy-based climate-resilient distributed heating prepared; and (ii) capacity building on renewable energy-based climate-resilient distributed heating system.

Services Provided by NAREE

Assessment of heating sector in Barkam county – NAREE conducts a geo-referenced household survey, electricity supply and pricing analysis, building thermal energy audit, and eat demand analysis to understand the status quo of building thermal energy use and heating sector in Barkam.   

Pre-feasibility study of renewable energy-based climate-resilient distributed heating - Based on the sector assessment, NAREE developes the technical and business model design for Barkam, and prepares pre-feasibility study for the designed project, including technology option identification for renewable energy-based distributed heating system, climate-resilient solutions development, financial and economic assessment, environmental and social impact assessment, PPP model selection.

Capacity building - NAREE organizes awareness enhancing workshops for local communities to disseminate the benefit of clean heating. To strengthen the executing and implementing agencies’ capacity on renewable-based climate-resilient distributed heating systems, NAREE facilitates one overseas training in Europe and one national study tour in eastern to learn lessons from successful distributed heating projects