ACWA Power and Larsen & Toubro have chosen Nextracker’s All-Terrain Solar Trackers for Al Kahfah Solar Park.
In Badeel and ACWA Power’s efforts to develop the Saudi National Renewable Energy Program, the 1.17 GW New Al Kahfah Solar Power Plant will be crucial.
NX Horizon-XTRTM all-terrain solar tracker systems will maximize yield while minimizing environmental effect on the project site.
By providing over 10 GW of intelligent solar tracking systems, either in operation or in the process of being completed, the Al Kahfah project demonstrates Nextracker’s dedication to the MEIA region.
Selected by ACWA Power and Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) to supply its all-terrain tracker NX Horizon-XTRTM for a 1.17 GW installation at Al Kahfah Solar Power Plant, a strategically significant renewable energy project in Saudi Arabia’s Central Province that is a part of the National Renewable Energy Program, is Nextracker, a leading global provider of intelligent solar trackers and software solutions.
One of the three main solar PV Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects that Badeel and ACWA Power are spearheading is Al Kahfah.
As part of the renewable energy projects necessary to meet the targets of Vision 2030 and the Ministry of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Program to increase renewables in the country’s energy mix to 50% by 2030, this solar plant will supply clean energy to the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC).
The engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the Al Kahfah Solar Power Plant has also been given to the multinational construction firm L&T.
The NX Horizon-XTR smart solar tracker systems from Nextracker will be used in the Al Kahfah project. The ground where the solar plant will be located is mostly mountainous and composed of hard soil. In order to level the terrain for the new solar tracking system, a mix of explosives and grading equipment would usually be needed. Nextracker’s all-terrain solar tracker system, which was first delivered in 2018 and has since been successfully used on numerous utility-scale projects running all over the world, can adapt to the natural terrain to lessen the need for expensive land grading while also having a major negative environmental impact.
The Al Kahfah project in Saudi Arabia is the largest order that Nextracker has ever placed for the use of its NX Horizon-XTR solar tracker technology.
Nextracker has also achieved a noteworthy milestone in the expanding Middle East, India, and Africa (MEIA) solar energy industry thanks to this planned Al Kahfah facility.
With over 10 GW of smart solar trackers either operational or in the process of being fulfilled around the area, this 1.17 GW order further solidifies Nextracker’s commitment to this industry.
Nextracker has extended its local content and capacity development initiative in the Kingdom as part of its support for Al Kahfah and ACWA Power.
In order to supply raw materials and manufacturing support for its trackers at factories throughout the region, Nextracker has partnered with a variety of local businesses.
In order to increase the energy production for these plants, Nextracker previously collaborated with ACWA Power and L&T on the Sudair Solar PV Plant (906 MW) by providing its sophisticated solar trackers.
Dan Shugar, Nextracker founder and CEO, said: “We are honored to partner again with both ACWA Power and Larsen & Toubro Ltd. for another significant project in the region. Our partnership with these two industry leaders has contributed greatly to Nextracker’s local commitment with over 10 GW of solar trackers already installed or under fulfilment across the MEIA region’s rapidly expanding solar energy market. We are confident that Nextracker will contribute greatly to the Al Kahfah plant—yet another example of Saudi government leadership in the energy transition and of the dominance of solar technology driving the transition to renewables in the region.”
Marco Arcelli, ACWA Power CEO, added: “We are looking forward to a successful commissioning of this important new plant to ensure ongoing delivery of reliable, low-cost clean energy for families and businesses. Our partnerships with technology providers such as Nextracker are essential in supporting our role in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious National Renewable Energy Plan to increase the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix to 50% by 2030.”
Bharathi Kumar, General Manager (Renewable International) of Larsen & Toubro Construction said: “Nextracker’s solutions offer great flexibility to configure solar tracking systems at project sites for premium performance. The pre-assembled components, single-row architecture, and robotic cleaning compatibility ensure efficient operations and management over the lifecycle of every project. Nextracker’s robust design with a keen emphasis on wind engineering makes its trackers most suitable for the region.”
Source Nextrackere
