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The Desert Blooms

The Desert Blooms: 2.1 GW World’s Largest Stand-alone PV Plant in Arabia

Model Type:

240 Units of SG8800UD-MV-20, 9600 Units of PVS-18MH

Capacity:

2.1 GW

COD Time:

2024.11

The Background of Our Story

As global energy trends move towards renewables, even oil-reliant nations such as Saudi Arabia have made strides towards a sustainable future. As a key initiative under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the Al Shuaibah Solar Park is the world's largest standalone PV plant, with a capacity of 2.1 GW. It is a project whose scale is only matched by its ambition, as well as the challenge it poses.

The Desert Blooms

A Vast Obstacle: Nature Itself

For the Al Shuaibah project to be successful, it has to weather the harsh conditions of the desert itself. Located 80km south of Jedah, the site faces temperaturs of up to 50°C, frequent sandstorms, and sparse infrastructure. These factors make construction, grid connection, and long term operations and maintenance complicated.

Overcoming the Desert to Create an Energy Oasis
Solution 1: Off-grid Commissioning
By using the SG8800UD-MV-20 solution, Sungrow engineers were able to conduct on-site Solar-powered testing. This eliminates the reliance on diesel and transportation, cutting commisioning time by 30+ days.
Solution 2: Modular Inverters
For this project, 1+X modular inverter system was chosen as it uses independent 1.1 MW modules, ensuring continued operation even if a unit fails. This resulted in a 95% reduction in downtime, as 7.7 MW remains functional even if one module fails. In addition, repairs were 70% faster with plug and play components, requiring just two technicians.
Solution 3: Harsh-climate Designs
Extreme conditions called for inverters that were not only sturdy, but had features that fought against the severe conditions of the desert. The 1+X inverters had dual-sand protection: elbow air inlets and plunger-latch filters to block sand intrusion. Its sealed dual-chamber structure protected core components, making it suitable for long operation hours. In addition, advanced cooling mechanisms helped the inverters maintain efficiency despite extreme desert heat.

A Gleaming Jewel in an Ocean of Sand

Now completed, the Al Shuaibah Solar Park is the world’s largest stand-alone PV plant. Generating 282.2 billion kWh and reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 245 million tons. The equivalent of planting 545 million trees. It’s more than just a power plant however, it’s a beacon for the future. As part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the Belt and Road initiative, it will drive sustainable growth, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and supports energy diversification.

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