UAE PV Plants Invested By Chinese Companies Have Significant Benefits

Chinese technology achieves green energy dream Chinese companies participate in investment and construction of UAE photovoltaic power stations

Drive east from downtown Abu Dhabi along the E20 road, and soon arrive in the uninhabited desert. Continuous driving for about 120 kilometers, rows of neat rows of photovoltaic panels gradually clear in the vast yellow sand, facing the sun particularly bright under the blue sky.

This is currently the world's largest single photovoltaic power station-"Light of Abu Dhabi". The project was constructed by a joint venture company (hereinafter referred to as the "project company") formed by China Jinko Energy Co., Ltd., Marubeni Corporation of Japan and the Abu Dhabi Hydropower Bureau. Relying on Chinese products and Chinese technology, it was put into commercial operation earlier this year. Significant benefits.

"Provides valuable experience for participating local companies"

In just over an hour's drive from the city to the project, Nadir, the company's public relations manager, has received calls from several consulting projects. "They are people who have never been contacted before. They can always find my phone number in various ways." Nadir said, "The power station has just been put into operation shortly, and there are already endless companies hoping to learn from the experience and cooperate with them. . People often call on weekends. "

Nadir's statement is true. "Abu Dhabi Light" covers an area of about 7.8 square kilometers and has a total size of 1177 MW. It is currently the world's largest single photovoltaic power plant. attention. The UAE news agency reported that after being put into commercial operation, the project can meet the electricity demand of more than 90,000 people. It is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tons per year, which is equivalent to reducing the emissions of 200,000 cars a year.

"Without the participation of Chinese technology, our project progress may slow down a lot." As soon as he entered the project park, Jorge Perrea, the general manager of the project company, introduced it to this reporter. Jorge said that whether it is project construction or operation, most employees are recruited locally. "As one of the project owners, Chinese companies have left employment opportunities to the local area, and the experience and guidance provided have helped a lot in the successful implementation of the project." Jorge gave an example. China Jinko Energy has taken an innovative approach to solar panels. The zigzag arrangement optimizes the engineering design on the limited land, thereby achieving the largest power generation among the bidders. The construction of the project involves the participation of more than 20 local and foreign companies in the UAE and is guided by Chinese personnel. At the peak, about 2,900 people were working on the site at the same time. "The project not only enriched Abu Dhabi's energy supply, but also provided valuable experience for the local companies involved."

"Solved the problem of maintaining equipment in the desert for us"

Under the scorching sun, several workers are debugging the cleaning devices on photovoltaic panels. The Abu Dhabi project is located in the most irradiated area in the world and has extremely superior lighting conditions. However, due to the strong winds in the desert, the panels are easily covered by sand. If manual cleaning is used, the amount of engineering will be huge.

"The same intelligent operation and maintenance robot from China has solved the problem of maintaining equipment in the desert for us." Project Operation Manager Mohamed Maldu introduced that after the commissioning is completed, the robot can be controlled to move back and forth on the solar panel in the general control room. Moving for cleaning, starting the panel once or twice a day can ensure the normal work of the panel, which greatly saves manpower and material resources. "This robot manufacturer is from Beijing, and we had almost no hesitation when we decided to cooperate with it-due to the different solar panel specifications, many foreign companies on the market could not meet our needs in time, but the Chinese company immediately customized the corresponding length for us Products are very satisfying, efficient and effective! "

It is worth noting that JinkoSolar is also the sole supplier of solar modules for the project. The 3.2 million photovoltaic panels used in the project are all made in China. "The cost-effectiveness of the product is the only criterion we consider." Jorge, who has more than 20 years of experience in photovoltaic project management, admitted to this reporter that he never thought of "green light" for Chinese products when selecting modules. The components not only have superior performance and reasonable price, but also can meet our order needs in a short time. Faced with the needs of such a large-scale project, other companies have replied 'can only try it'. Only Chinese companies have told us' No problem'!"

"Provide a stage for talents from all walks of life"

In order to reduce dependence on traditional energy sources and diversify energy supply, the UAE government attaches great importance to the development of clean energy. To this end, the UAE has formulated the "2050 Energy Strategy", with the goal of achieving 50% of its energy supply from clean energy by 2050. Mohamed Hassan Sovidi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Hydropower Authority, said that the completion of the "Light of Abu Dhabi" marks the UAE has taken a solid step towards achieving the "2050 Energy Strategy" and has also become a successful example of multinational cooperation. "Chinese technology achieves the dream of green energy."

The piece of power generation facilities has risen from the long yellow sand. It only took more than a year, and Musana Bahje, who has been in the photovoltaic field for more than ten years, was amazed by this. Musana is the project development manager of JinkoSolar in the Middle East and North Africa region, and is responsible for docking with the "Light of Abu Dhabi" project. "In the field of photovoltaic power generation, China's technology and production capacity have been leading the world, and a series of Chinese brands are becoming more and more familiar in the international market. This is why I joined a Chinese company." He told this reporter that he was at Jinko Energy. Having worked for 7 years, my Chinese colleagues are good at pioneering, serious and reliable, and have learned a lot from working with them. "The 'Belt and Road' initiative not only brings China's cutting-edge technology and high-quality products to countries along the route, but also various types of major projects have created a lot of opportunities for the world and provided a stage for talents from all walks of life." Jorge said.

Qianjin vice president of JinkoSolar, said in an interview that the “Belt and Road” initiative provides photovoltaic companies with more opportunities to invest overseas, clarifies the direction for companies to go global, boosts confidence, and reduces risks. Countries along the “Belt and Road” have great potential. A spokesman for Japan Marubeni Co., Ltd. told this reporter that the close cooperation with JinkoSolar has allowed the three countries to succeed in the "Light of Abu Dhabi" project and benefit the local people. Chinese companies such as JinkoSolar have in-depth research in the field of photovoltaics. In recent years, they have developed rapidly and gained more and more international recognition. "We look forward to more cooperation with Chinese companies in countries along the Belt and Road, especially in the Middle East, Africa and Asia."

Editor: Kiko Lee

E-mail: kiko@wanhos.com