Indian construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed up Nextpower Arabia, the newly formed joint venture between Nextpower (formerly Nextracker) and Abunayyan Holding, to provide 2.25 gigawatts (GWp) of advanced solar tracking systems for the Bisha Solar project being developed by an Acwa-led consortium.
Located in the Asir Province, Bisha is the largest of the Wave 6 solar projects. The project represents a significant addition to Saudi Arabia’s expanding utility-scale portfolio and supports the Kingdom’s long-term energy and decarbonization objectives, said a statement from Nextpower Arabia.
This new 2.25 GWp order is the first major project to be fulfilled through the Nextpower Arabia joint venture, now fully operational.
Through localised sales, manufacturing, delivery and supply chain capabilities, Nextpower Arabia will support the efficient deployment of utility-scale solar power plants, while advancing industrial development and workforce development in the Middle East and North Africa region, it stated.
Bharathi Kumar, the General Manager (Renewable International) at L&T, said: "We have tremendous confidence in Nextpower Arabia to provide the most advanced utility-grade solar solutions that will help us deliver maximum performance and low-cost clean energy through the new Bisha Solar Plant long into the future."
"Localising the production of these new systems that will form the foundation of the Bisha plant will deliver greater efficiencies throughout the development process while reducing the cost and impact of international shipping," he stated.
Dan Shugar, the founder and CEO of Nextpower, said: "The Mena region is a top strategic priority for Nextpower. This project builds on our longstanding partnerships with Acwa Power and L&T and marks an important milestone for our new joint venture with Abunayyan Holding. Through Nextpower Arabia, we are localizing the industry’s most resilient and intelligent solar plant technologies, engineered specifically for the region’s demanding conditions, while strengthening the local supply chain to support Saudi Arabia’s long-term energy transition goals."
Turki Al Amri, the Nextpower Arabia Chairman and CEO, and Abunayyan Holding CEO, said the Bisha project will significantly contribute to national and regional renewable energy transformation objectives.
"By manufacturing and producing Nextpower Arabia systems in the Kingdom, we can deliver a wide range of benefits from our newly localized solar supply chain for our development partners while advancing Saudi’s national industrialization strategy," he stated.
Earlier this year, Acwa Power, in a consortium with the Water and Electricity Holding Company (Badeel) and Saudi Aramco Power Company (Sapco), had announced its commitment to invest $8.3 billion to develop seven large-scale renewable energy plants, adding approximately 15 GW of new renewable energy capacity to the Kingdom’s power grid.
Nextpower has a longstanding track record of supporting major utility-scale solar developments in the region, beginning with the 405 MW Sakaka Solar Park in Saudi Arabia in 2018, and now totalling more than 6GW across the Mena region, he added.-TradeArabia News Service