A total of 50 power enterprises placed bids for a 10 megawatt solar photovoltaic generation project in northwest China's Gansu Province, the biggest in the country, the Shanghai Securities News said on Monday.

Chinese bidders include China Power Investment Corporation, China Huaneng Group, China Guodian Corporation, China Datang Corporation, China Huadian Corporation and Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (STP.NYSE), Shi Lishan, an official with the National Energy Bureau was quoted as saying.

"Overseas power enterprises that have joined the bidding include a company from Denmark and one from Germany," said Shi.

Covering one million square meters, the solar PV power plant in Dunhuang city involves a total investment of 500 million yuan (US$73 million). It will generate on average 16.37 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year.

The bid winners are obligated to complete the construction of the solar PV power plant within 18 months and are franchised to operate the project for 25 years, according to the bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2009)