Sungrow, a leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, has announced that it will power the 800 MW Al Kharsaa solar project in Qatar with featured 1500V string inverter SG250HX. The project is noteworthy as the third-largest solar plant in the world and the first utility-scale solar project in Qatar. It’s planned to be fully operational before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, supporting Qatar National Vision 2030 by facilitating local economic decarbonisation and sustainable development.
The 800 MWp plant is located 80 kms west of Doha, Qatar, covering 1000 hectares in a tropical desert and featuring ample sunlight amid 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 purchase agreement (PPA) to supply electricity to the offtaker Kahramaa (Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation). It will represent around 10 percent of electricity peak demand of the country and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of Qatar by 26 million tonnes during its lifetime.
Sungrow will supply its 1500V string inverter SG250HX, which it stated 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 MW, significantly saving the initial investment and streamlining O&M. As one of the best-selling PV inverter solutions, SG250HX is expected to be deployed over 3 GW by the end of 2020.
“We are proud to pioneer the first utility-scale solar project in Qatar with the best of 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 MW project in Oman and a 900 MW project in Dubai.
The inverter firm stated that as the independent power producers (IPP) of the landmark project, Marubeni from Japan and Total from France showed great confidence towards the rosy prospect of the project due to prominent product solutions and 100 percent bankability of Sungrow.
“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 Yu Hao, Vice General Manager from Power China, the EPC of the project.
