The project in Qatar is noteworthy as the third-largest solar plant in the world and the first utility-scale solar project in Qatar. It is planned to be fully operational before the 2022 Football World Cup, supporting Qatar National Vision 2030 by facilitating local economic decarbonization and sustainable development.
The 800 megawatt plant is located 80 kilometres west of Doha, covering 1000 hectares in a tropical desert and featuring ample sunlight whereas high temperatures and strong wind. The project was awarded to a consortium of Marubeni and Total as the result of the country’s first solar tender, benefiting from a 25-year power purchasing agreement (PPA) to supply electricity to the offtaker Kahramaa. It will represent around 10 per cent of electricity peak demand of the country and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of Qatar by 26 million tonnes during its lifetime.
High degree of bankability
Sungrow will supply the powerful 1,500 volt string inverter SG250HX, which is resilient in harsh conditions given the IP66 and C5 protection capability and smart forced air-cooling technology. Compatible with bifacial modules and tracking systems, the solution allows considerable yields by leveraging the sunlight resources onsite. It enables flexible block design, allowing up to 6.75 megawatts, significantly saving on the initial investment and streamlining O&M.
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As the independent power producers (IPP) of the landmark project, Marubeni from Japan and Total from France show great confidence towards the prospects of the project due to prominent product solutions and high degree of bankability of Sungrow.
Other projects in the Middle East
“The Al Kharsaa project is a breakthrough in our track record and will lay the solid foundation for our robust partnership with Sungrow. High-performing products, reliable service, timely deliveries and speed of commissioning have made them a preferred partner for our growing list of assets,” commented Mr. Yu Hao, Vice General Manager from Power China, the EPC of the project.
“We are proud to pioneer the first utility-scale solar project in Qatar with our expertise and prop up the national commitment towards a more sustainable society. We’d like to explore more competitive projects to unlock values for stakeholders in the Middle East,” said James Wu, Vice President of Sungrow. Wu also mentioned that the Company supplied a 500 megawatt project in Oman and a 900 megawatt project in Dubai. (mfo)
