BELECTRIC and Sun & Life have joined hands to build one of the world’s largest solar power plants in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, over a land area of 160,000 to 180,000 sq m.

The 10-MW photovoltaic carport system located at the recently-built North Park office complex of Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, will cover all of the 4,500 parking spaces. More than 120,000 copper indium selenide (CIS) photovoltaic modules will be installed, supplied by the Japanese thin film leader, Solar Frontier (previously known as Showa Shell Sekiyu).

An output of 10 MW is equivalent to the output needed to power 6,000 residential homes.
“Belectric, a world market leader in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of solar power plants, is executing the North Park project in cooperation with Sun & Life, a regional solar pioneer in the Middle East and a subsidiary of ACWA Holding,” says a spokesman for Belectric.

Belectric was awarded the project by Saudi-based Al Yamama, the project principal building the North Park project, which includes offices and the car-park.

“Belectric and Sun & Life intend to enhance their cooperation to a full-scale joint venture in EPC contracting of solar power plants, and manufacturing of Balance of System components in Saudi Arabia,” says the Belectric spokesman.
Belectric is known for its global track record and innovative design providing efficient system performance at a competitive cost for solar power plants.

“We are very proud to be awarded this project. The clear benefits of the thin-film photovoltaic modules, combined with our enhanced plant technologies and project engineering, are the contributing factors to drive a solar power plant reliably and efficiently under hot climate conditions,” says Bernhard Beck, CEO of Belectric.

The large-scale power plant will produce electricity and feed it into the public grid by the year-end.

“Sun & Life is looking forward to work with Belectric not only to deliver this iconic project, but also to combine both groups’ strengths and track records to develop the solar energy industry, and localise technologies in the region. With the latest developments, solar and renewable resources become one of the best choices for energy,” says Abdullah Taibah, CEO of Sun & Life.

Saudi receives 7 kWh of energy per sq m in 12 hours of daylight, significantly more than the amount of sun that hits a “sunny” country like Spain, making the kingdom an ideal country for solar power projects to supply domestic and retail demands, he says.

Head of Saudi Aramco’s solar project team Faisal Habiballah says: “Although the overall intent is to conserve energy, the downstream effects of the solar projects are significant. Installing solar panels on car-park roofs is a well-proven energy-saving model, and covered parking was always part of the plan for North Park – so why not use solar panels?”
Saudi Aramco’s North Park parking area is the first full-scale site in the kingdom selected to install Solar Frontier’s
CIS panels.

“Solar Frontier’s panels are proven to deliver reliable and affordable performance, providing efficient and stable power output in even the toughest conditions, and this partnership with Saudi Aramco shows a continuing commitment to supply our high-performance CIS solar modules to projects in demanding desert conditions across the Middle East,” says Atsuhiko Hirano, the company’s senior vice-president.

He says this installation at the North Park project will enable Solar Frontier to monitor the performance of its CIS modules in a desert environment, giving invaluable knowledge to leverage for future projects in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and regions with similar environments around the world.

Belectric is an international system integrator and manufacturer for large-scale photovoltaic systems. With offices in 15 countries, Belectric offers customers worldwide its know-how and cost advantages achieved by a common sourcing strategy and the expertise of its project managers and engineers.

Since last year, Belectric has been an EPC world market leader in free-field and roof-mounted solar power plants and has built more than 120 free-field solar power plants and more than 2,600 roof-mounted systems worldwide in the last nine years.

In doing so, the company employs advanced and innovative technologies, which are characterised by high energy yields, reliable operation and low raw material consumption.

In contrast to most competitors, the company offers photovoltaic solutions from one source. From planning to construction and operation and service, the photovoltaic systems are realised without subcontractors.

ACWA Holding is a Saudi leader in developing private power and water generation infrastructure and utilities projects. It started its solar energy initiative five years ago, as part of its vision and drive to create sustainable development in the energy mix.

Its subsidiary Sun & Life is active in the fields of technology development, manufacturing and turnkey solar EPC. The company’s forward-looking and sustainable growth has enhanced its solar expertise, focusing on the most appropriate technology to be deployed in harsh environments, and on producing the highest yield at the lowest cost. “Sun & Life’s overarching corporate goal is to offer solar power at competitive prices in the long term and to create a real alternative to local energy sources,” says Taibah.