Italian independent power producer Building Energy is deploying one of its proprietary Green Energy Temporary Solution (GETS) systems in Saudi Arabia.
The installation is being made for and in association with Smart Energy Solutions (SES), a power rental company servicing the MEA region.
The 14-MW diesel-solar plant being completed this month will produce 54 MWh annually from solar energy. Being a hybrid system, it is expected to significantly reduce consumption of diesel in power production.
According to a statement, the energy produced by the plant will be sold under a five-year power purchase agreement.
GETS is a modular, portable solution from Building Energy suited for temporary production of power in off-grid areas. It provides rural areas with access to electricity.
The preassembled, prewired and containerized unit can be shipped to far flung places to meet energy requirements with minimal environmental impact.
The product had been envisaged for applications in remote locations such as mines to meet their temporary power requirements.
However, for the Saudi Arabian project the diesel generator sets are to be supplied by SES. And the hybrid power generating unit will be developed entirely in Saudi Arabia, the statement says.
Building Energy has already registered its presence in Jordan by signing an agreement protocol with the ministry of energy and mineral resources there. It was selected for a 50 MW power plant as part of the second round for the renewable energy production program of Jordan.
Building Energy has also been shortlisted for other large-scale photovoltaic projects in Jordan and Egypt, and is working on a pipeline of projects in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“Building Energy’s GETS will enhance SES offering in the Middle East and Africa region for remote sites where the company specializes in providing on demand short- to medium-term energy solutions and in line with environmental policies of IFC and World Bank,” Waleed Isaac, the managing director of SES, has stated.
Ajith Kumar S