PVTIME – Sungrow announced that the Company signed the inverter supply contract for the 200 MW Kom Ombo project in Egypt following the signature of the EPC agreement between ACWA Power and the EPC contractor Sterling and Wilson Solar Limited. The project will be the largest privately developed utility-scale solar plants in the country and will increase the share of renewable energy in Egypt’s energy mix in line with national targets.
The project is located within a desert area of Kom Ombo town in the Aswan Governorate of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The operation of the solar plant is a proactive measure towards a low carbon transition for Egypt’s economy harnessing the abundant solar irradiation in the country.
Given the harsh desert climate, equipment had to be chosen carefully. Sungrow SG250HX-IN-20 and its medium-voltage turnkey station MVS6650-LV are resilient in complex environments such as extreme temperature, dry and dusty 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.
Egypt is taking measures to combat climate change with the plan to produce 42% of its electricity from renewables by 2035 as per the national Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy to 2035 (ISES to 2035). The IPP system measures will facilitate the transition to solar energy and opens doors for international companies such as ACWA Power and Sungrow to partake in Egypt’s sustainable energy journey.
In October 2019, ACWA Power inked a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Government of Egypt to develop, finance, construct and operate the 200 MW Kom Ombo PV plant followed by the signing of the Government Guarantee in January 2021 and the final project agreements including the Network Connection Contract (NCC), and Usufruct Agreement (UA) in April 2021. With an investment value of US$ 160 million, the project is expected to commence commercial operations in Q3 2022.
Once operational, Kom Ombo PV will generate clean power equivalent to 650 GWh annually and will cater to the power needs of 130,000 households, as well as offset 336,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Alvin Shi, Managing Director of Sungrow MENA region, commented, “This Egyptian landmark project has achieved a competitive tariff while driving the growth of solar energy as an affordable alternative to conventional energy sources. By deploying the Sungrow 250 kW inverter solution, the Kom Ombo project is set up for operational excellence and marks a milestone in our partnership track record with our local partners ACWA Power as well as Sterling and Wilson Solar Limited,” said Shi.
Sungrow has standout performance in the Egyptian commercial and industrial segment with the top 1 market share in 2020. With the local branch established in Dubai, Sungrow is poised to leap forward in the MENA region in 2021.
