Noor Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest stand-alone operational solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in Abu Dhabi’s Sweihan region, has announced the successful completion of its second year of commercial operations.

It is being operated by Sweihan PV Power Company, which is majority-owned by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) with a 60 per cent stake along with Marubeni Corporation and Jinko Solar, which each have 20 per cent shares in the entity.  The 1.2-gigawatt power plant has more than 3.3 million of solar panels in a single site.

Since its operations began two years ago, Noor Abu Dhabi has been providing a safe supply of sustainable renewable energy by harnessing the latest technologies.

This is evident in its implementation of a cutting-edge clean system based on a detailed feasibility study. Its 1,400 waterless robotic cleaning systems travel 800 km twice daily across the solar panels to ensure they perform at the optimum level, said the company.

In addition, the company adopted GPS-controlled robots for the installation of the foundation structures to hold the panels, increasing the installation rate, reaching up to 26,000 panels installed in one day during peak construction.

The plant began commercial operations on April 30, 2019, supplying Abu Dhabi with enough clean energy to power 90,000 individuals through a long-term power purchase agreement with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).

The facility spans over 8 sq km using a unique design, enabling greater production capacity.