Abu Dhabi: Masdar, Abu Dhabi's multi-faceted alternative energy initiative, announced that construction of the first and largest grid-connected solar photovoltaic plant in the Middle East and North Africa region is underway.
The solar power plant will initially generate clean electricity to support the ongoing construction activities of Masdar City and later will be the power provider for the Masdar Institute, which opens in late 2009.
The state-of-the-art PV plant will also supply smart clean energy to the Masdar Site Administration Facilities. Excess energy generated will be supplied to the Abu Dhabi grid providing Abu Dhabi consumers with their first experience of alternative energy.
The 10 MW plant, consisting of 50 per cent thin film and 50 per cent crystalline, is projected to generate 17,500 MWh of clean energy each year with 15,000 tons of annual CO2 savings.
A single kWh of green energy is the carbon-offset equivalent of 0.8 kg depending on an area's network and its energy-producing source. Following the complete installation of all 87,777 thin film and photo crystalline silicon panels, the plant will be grid connected.
The plant was designed and installed by Abu Dhabi-based solar power system integrator Enviromena Power Systems.
With a construction cost of Dh185 million ($50M) and an installed power capacity of 10 MWp, the plant will be considered one the most cost-efficient PV installations in the world in terms of its projected power output.
