5B Solar to supply El Salvador solar system

Australian solar system manufacturer 5B has been appointed as the technology provider for a 10.1MWp solar system that will form part of a 21.4MWp solar power project that AES El Salvador is constructing for Holcim El Salvador’s El Ronco cement plant.

When operational, the new solar power plant will generate 21 per cent of the energy required for cement production at the plant, lowering lower Holcim El Salvador’s fuel oil consumption by 43,000 barrels a year.

5B was awarded the contract based on the ability of its system to fit more DC capacity on the available land, as well as its rapid deployment and safety advantages.

5B’s leading solar technology, the 5B Maverick (pictured), consists of up to 90 solar panels mounted on specially designed frames that can be unfolded and installed at speed.

AES El Salvador’s General Director of Solutions Division Roberto Sandoval said: “The 5B Maverick is uniquely designed to deliver a lot of power in markets with land constraints.

“Optimal use of land is becoming an increasingly important factor in solar farm development and the 5B Maverick is a great solution in that sense.”

“We will continue to innovate and improve execution with new solar technologies like 5B Maverick, which are driving standardisation to deliver more end-to-end engineering, construction and procurement benefits.”

Deployment of the 208 5B Maverick solar system will commence in mid 2023, and will be operational by the fourth quarter of 2023.

5B’s Global Head of Sales & Marketing Chris Wienbeck, said: “It’s exciting to see local industrial manufacturers leading the way on lowering emissions in their production processes to support national climate commitments and economic growth through the creation of new jobs in the emerging renewable energy sector.”

In February 5B was appointed as the solar technology provider for a 16MWp solar system that will form part of a 95MW hybrid power station that Zenith Energy is constructing for Liontown Resources’ Kathleen Valley Lithium Project, located 680km north-east of Perth in Western Australia.

Zenith Energy will begin deploying the 342 5B Maverick array systems in June 2023. When complete, the solar farm will occupy a land area equivalent to 17 NRL football fields and generate enough to power 4,000 homes, making it the country’s largest off-grid renewable energy hybrid power station.

Further reading:
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Picture: 5B