Production at a 1 GW solar PV inverter manufacturing facility has begun in Saudi Arabia. The inverter will be the first component to comply with the local production norms.
The Shams PV inverters production line is the result of collaboration between Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Electronics Company (AEC) and German company Kaco. While the facility had been operational since November 2013 as a testing centre, it will now manufacture inverters with capacity ranging between 2 kW and 2 MW.
The facility is expected to make a significant contribution to Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy plans. Saudi Arabia plans to have 16 GW of solar PV installed capacity by 2040. This corresponds to 640 MW of capacity addition every year for 25 years. This target had earlier been set for 2032 but has now been delayed by 8 years.
Other companies are also setting up production facilities for equipment used in setting up solar power projects. Earlier this year, the Al-Afandi Group selected ci design, an international planning, architecture, and interior design firm, to lead the design and planning of a 110 MW solar PV modules manufacturing facility.
ACWA Power, the leading power project developer in Saudi Arabia, has substantial experience in developing solar power projects. The company is working on several solar PV and concentrated solar power projects across the world. ACWA Power, along with TSK Group, is working on the 200 MW phase II of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. The 200 MW project has the lowest levelised tariff for solar PV projects around the world. The company has also been working on CSP projects under South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Program (REIPPPP). ACWA Power, along with the Masdar Group, is also planning to set up 1.5 GW solar power capacity in Egypt.