MUSCAT — A consortium consisting of ACWA Power — a leading developer, owner, and operator of power generation and water desalination plants — Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Alternative Energy Projects Co. (AEPC) achieves a new milestone for the 500MW Ibri 2 solar PV project, which entails the shipment of the first 10 MWp of 24,700 bifacial solar panels manufactured by Jolywood. The panels will generate an output capacity of 405Wp per panel.

Rajit Nanda, chief investment officer of ACWA Power and Board Member of Shams Al-Dhahirah Generating Company - the project company that owns and develops the Ibri 2 project, said, “The arrival of the first shipment of the bifacial solar panels to the project site on schedule is truly a major achievement because of the enormous challenges faced due to COVID -19 related supply chain disruptions in China — the manufacturing base of our solar panel partners.

“Close collaboration and active coordination at every stage of the delivery process enabled us to keep to our original schedule. We remain fully committed to completing the project as per our timeline and contributing towards the sustainability goals of Oman and our shareholders. We are thankful for all the support received from our off-takers and the government of Oman towards facilitating this achievement.”

Eng. Yahya Bin Muhammad Al-Rawahi, chief executive officer of Shams Al-Dhahirah Generating Company, added: “The project uses bi-facial solar panels, and is the largest to date in Oman to use this technology. Shams Ad-Dhahirah Generating Company will continue to work diligently, and in close coordination with our parent company ACWA Power, to ensure that the rest of the panels and the project as a whole are delivered in time. This accomplishment reflects our project execution capability even in these challenging times.”

Located in Al-Dhahirah Governorate, Ibri 2 PV IPP will contain approximately 1.4 million solar panels and extend over an area of 13 million square meters. The 500 MW project is deemed to be Oman’s largest utility-scale solar PV Independent Power Project. At peak generation capacity, the plant output will be enough to supply an estimated 33,000 homes with electricity and will offset 340,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. — SG