Sterling and Wilson Bags Contract For World's Largest Single Location Solar PV Plant

Indian Electrical contracting organization Sterling and Wilson on Monday (19 June) bagged Turnkey Engineering Procurement and Construction along with Operation & Maintenance contract for the world’s largest single location solar Photovoltaic (PV) plant in Sweihan, Emirates of Abu Dhabi, UAE. The project will deliver a capacity of 1177 MWp, easily surpassing the current largest 850 MWp single location plant in China.

With construction already underway, the plant which is spread over a desert area of 7.8 sq. km is scheduled to be fully integrated with the grid in a record timeline of just 23 months. To top it all, the project was awarded at the lowest ever recorded bid in the history of PV solar.

The plant is jointly developed by Japanese integrated trading and investment giant Marubeni, along with global leader in the solar industry Jinko, and Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). The consortium has successfully bid a tariff of $ 2.42 cents per kilowatt hour, marking the lowest cost ever for solar power.

Once commissioned, the plant would save around 7 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, a number that will play a major role in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi achieving its aim of sustainability and energy diversification, through the use of clean energy. To put it in perspective, 1177 MWp can power around 1,95,000 homes, thus contributing to the welfare of the current as well as the future generations of the people of the UAE.

Bikesh Ogra, President – Renewable Energy, Sterling and Wilson, said “We are fully geared and very excited to be a part of this important milestone in the global solar market. The strongest contributor to this tariff is the capital expense driven by lower equipment cost and a highly efficient system design. Our unique design offerings and state-of-the-art robotics optimizes the yield and performance of the plant”.