ACWA Power’s 500 MW Oman’s Solar PV Project Achieves New Milestone
A consortium consisting of ACWA Power – a leading developer, owner, and operator of power generation and water desalination plants – Gulf Investment Corporation (“GIC”) and Alternative Energy Projects Co. (“AEPC”) achieves a new milestone for the 500 MW Ibri 2 solar PV project, which entails the shipment of the first 10 MWp of 24,700 bifacial solar panels manufactured by Jolywood. The panels will generate an output capacity of 405 Wp per panel. “The arrival of the first shipment of the bifacial solar panels to the project site on schedule is truly a major achievement because of the enormous challenges faced due to COVID -19 related supply chain disruptions in China – the manufacturing base of our solar panel partners,” said Rajit Nanda, chief investment officer of ACWA Power and board member of Shams Al-Dhahirah Generating Company – the project company that owns and develops the Ibri 2 project. Located in Al-Dhahirah Governorate, Ibri 2 PV IPP will contain approximately 1.4 million solar panels and extend over an area of 13 million square meters. The 500 MW project is deemed to be Oman’s largest utility-scale solar PV Independent Power Project. At peak generation capacity, the plant output will be enough to supply an estimated 33,000 homes with electricity and will offset 340,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
Turkey’s EMRA Issues New Regulation for Hybrid Power Plants
The Energy Market Regulatory Board (EMRA) of Turkey issued a regulation for the use of hybrid technology in power plants in its recent announcement titled “New era in the energy sector”. According to regulation, renewable energy facilities to be built in the areas where the power plants are located will increase the new investment and employment opportunities. Companies producing electricity from other sources will be allowed to establish their solar power plants. Power plant licenses will be evaluated separately from wind, solar, hydroelectric, thermal, biomass, geothermal, and nuclear energy sources. Power plant fields will be determined according to the energy source within the framework of the new methodology and technology type. The size of the land will depend on the type of source and technology. EMRA will make sure that the investor’s field is tailored to the methodology, after his review according to the criteria he has determined. It will establish a control mechanism to determine power plant sites with this regulation. Mustafa Yılmaz, Chairman of EMRA said “With this regulation, we are opening the way for our country to benefit more from renewable energy sources. We accelerate the investment environment with the possibility of additional investment in existing facilities. We believe that more investments and employment will come from investors. ”.
Emirates Insolaire Solar Sets Up Panels At Dubai’s Mega Solar Park
Emirates Insolaire, a joint venture of Dubai Investments PJSC and Swissinso SA, Switzerland has declared the undertaking of the installation of solar panels at the DEWA Innovation Centre project which is a part of Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park being developed as the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the independent power producer model. Emirates Insolaire Provides cost-effective, sustainable, customization, colored and sustainable solar panels, breakthrough photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors offer flexibility. The highly sustainable solar panels are designed and produced to not only cut down on greenhouse gas emissions but also considerably reduce utility bills.
Turkey To Launch Its First Integrated Solar Panel Manufacturing Facility In August
Turkey’s first integrated solar panel manufacturing facility is planned to commence in august in the Ankara industrial zone. The investor of the project, the facility has a significant place in Turkey’s national energy policy, according to a statement by Kalyon Group. Cemal Kalyoncu, Kalyon board chairman said that “This facility will produce the 1,000-megawatt (MW) panels for the Karapınar solar power plant. The plant will be built using 70% locally sourced components. When the Karapınar plant is operational, the share of solar energy in Turkey’s electricity production will increase by 20%. With the manufacture of solar panels in this facility and the electricity production in the Karapınar plant, Turkey’s annual deficit will decrease $400 million (TL 2.7 billion),”. The group will establish a research and development center in the integrated solar panel manufacturing facility. Around 100 engineers will be employed in the center, he noted, which will play an important role in Turkey’s national technology production, he added. It will be the first integrated solar panel manufacturing facility in Europe and the Middle East with a yearly solar panel production of 500 MW capacity. Kalyoncu also stated that 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be prevented every year with the Karapınar solar power plant. It is planned to inaugurate the facility in August and invest approximately $1 billion in the plant.
Yellow Door Energy Commissions 1.2 Megawatt-peak (MWp) Solar Park in Jordan
Yellow Door Energy, a leading sustainable energy provider for businesses, has commissioned a 1.2 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar park for Jabri Restaurant. Located in Al-Salt, Jordan and covering an area of 22,000 square meters, this solar park will generate 2,145 megawatt-hours of clean energy in the first year of operation, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by 1,500 tonnes. It will also meet over 70% of Jabri Restaurant’s annual energy consumption needs, providing clean energy for Jabri restaurants in Jordan. The solar park operates under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) wheeling agreement, which is a form of project financing wherein a private entity receives a concession from the private or public sector to finance, design, construct, own, and operate a facility stated in the contract. As the BOOT solar provider, Yellow Door Energy is responsible for investing in, designing, building, commissioning, operating and maintaining the solar park. Jordan is a leader in the Middle East for its rapid adoption of renewable energy. By 2020, one-fifth of the country’s energy will be generated through renewables, as stated by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Saudi to Generate 50% of its Electricity from Renewables by 2030
On Solar Power, Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman, Saudi’s energy minister, told an international audience of thought leaders that the projects in energy efficiency, solar power generation, and renewables that aim to generate half of its electricity from non-hydrocarbon sources by 2030. He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s initiatives via public-private partnerships in recycling, energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, and environmental protection. The event was the second in a series and it was launched by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), who emphasized the need for a sustainable recovery from the economic shock of the pandemic. In April, The Saudi Arabia Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) announced the bids received for Round 2 of Its 1.47 GW Tender under the National Renewable Energy Program. The project is under the Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) and has been divided into two categories – Category A and Category B. Round 2 consists of 6 projects (Al Faisaliah, Jeddah, Rabigh, Qurayyat, Madinah & Rafha) which includes four solar plants of 1.4 GW and two PV facilities of 70 MW and successful bidders will be awarded 25-year power purchase agreements. A source said that” Bids for all projects have been announced except for Al-Faisaliah which will be announced later this month.”
GCL SI Supports Floating Solar Power Plant in Persian Gulf
Research by the IHS Markit’s Floating PV Report 2020 reveals recently that the floating solar power installations are set to jump by 143% from 2019 to hit more than 900 MW of annual capacity additions this year. GCL System Integration (GCL SI) recently announced its line of completely waterproof solar panels have been instrumental in the development of a floating solar power plant off the coast of Nurai Island in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Located near the luxury resort island of Nurai, local solar developer, Enerwhere has constructed the first floating solar power plant on seawater in the Middle East using GCL SI’s patented dual-glass solar modules. Aside from the solar panels, the ambitious project was made possible through using floating and mounting structures built by Sungrow. As the evidence of GCL SI modules’ high quality performance and reliability especially when used in open water. The company is adding another milestone to the GCL’s existing portfolio including 4 floating solar projects around the world. Spearheaded by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the UAE is committed to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, a plan to transform Dubai into a global clean energy center by 2050 with 75% of electricity coming from clean energy including solar. To achieve this, the government intends to build a “solar lake” of floating solar panels in the Emirate.
