17 October 2012

First Solar to construct 13MW solar power plant in Seih Al Dahal

First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA, which manufactures thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules based on cadmium telluride (CdTe) as well as providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services, has been selected by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) to construct a 13 megawatt (MWDC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Seih Al Dahal, approximately 50 kilometers south of Dubai. The firm will provide engineering, procurement and construction services, as well as its advanced thin-film PV modules.

The plant is the first phase of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, an AED 12 billion project that is expected to cover 48 square kilometers and produce 1,000MW of clean energy for the nation's capital using both PV and solar thermal technology.

"The PV plant installation is a key step in the implementation of the energy diversification strategy adopted by the Supreme Council of Energy, in which solar energy is set to become part of Dubai's energy portfolio. The strategy is based on Dubai's growing energy requirements and aims to maintain security of supply in the Emirate of Dubai," said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

The 13MW plant is expected to generate more than 22 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, on average, enough to meet the average annual electricity needs of more than 500 local households. Electricity generated by the power plant on average will displace more than 14,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.

Tags: First Solar CdTe

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