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Noor Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest stand-alone operational solar photovoltaic (PV) plant located in Abu Dhabi’s Sweihan region, announced on Monday the successful completion of its second year of commercial operations.
Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, the 1.2-gigawatt power plant with more than 3.3 million solar panels in a single site has continued to operate reliably and efficiently at maximum capacity, the plant’s operator, Sweihan PV Power Company, said in a statement.
Sweihan PV Power Company is 60 percent owned by the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), with Marubeni Corporation and Jinko Solar holding shares of 20 percent each.
“Noor Abu Dhabi is a trailblazer in many regards, particularly as it was one of the first initiatives in the UAE to contribute to the UAE Energy Strategy 2050. The plant has established itself as a model for offering a competitive and reliable supply of renewable energy,” said Abdulla Salem Al Kayoumi, CEO of Sweihan PV Power Company.
Abdulla Salem Al Kayoumi, CEO of Sweihan PV Power Company
Innovations deployed in the project include 1,400 waterless robotic cleaning systems that travel 800 kilometres twice daily to ensure that PV panels perform at the optimum level. During construction, the company had adopted GPS controlled robots for increasing the installation rate for the foundation structures holding the panels, reaching a single-day peak installation of 26,000 panels.
The plant, which spans over 8 square kilometres, began commercial operations on 30 April 2019.
In February 2021, Abu Dhabi's 2 GW Al Dhafra solar PV power project had announced financial closure.
(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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© ZAWYA 2021
