Masdar taps Shanghai Electric for Al Sadawi solar plant: Abu Dhabi-based future energy company Masdar has awarded the EPC contract for its 2 GWac Al Sadawi Solar PV project in KSA to Shanghai Electric, Trade Arabia reported on Tuesday. The project — part of the fifth round of the Kingdom’s National Renewable Energy Program — is set to be Shanghai Electric’s largest EPC contract for a solar power project once completed. There is no readily available information on the value of the contract.

Background: The Masdar-led project is developed by a consortium, including Korea Electric Power Corp, and China’s GD Power Development. The trio have secured a power purchase agreement for the project late last year. The plant — with a reported unconfirmed investment ticked of USD 1.1 bn — is planned to reach full capacity by May 2026, with the official commercial operation Date set for August 2027.

ALSO- Masdar expands solar projects in Indonesia: UAE’s Masdar and Indonesian state-owned electricity company PT PLN have signed two agreements for floating solar power projects, according to a press release issued last week. The first was an MoU to develop a floating solar power plant at the Jatigede Dam reservoir in West Java, with construction beginning this year and completion slated for 2027. The second was a Principles of Agreement to explore the expansion of Masdar’s pre-existing 145 MWac Cirata Floating PV plant.

REMEMBER- The pair signed a joint development study agreement to look into tripling theplant’s capacity to 500 MW and to develop solar, wind, and green hydrogen products in Indonesia and abroad in May 2024. Masdar is planning to expand its global clean energy portfolio to 100 GW by 2030, funneling USD 30 bn towards the target.

SOLAR UPDATES FROM IRAQ-

#1- Iraq may soon get 750 MW panels plant: Iraq is in the process of reviewing a technical proposal by an unnamed Chinese firm to develop a new solar panel manufacturing facility with a production capacity of 750 MW in Al Zawraa state, the state-owned Al Zawraa General Company’s general manager told INA on Sunday. Iraq is pushing to localize the solar panel industry.

#2- Sixteen new companies have been qualified by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) to install residential solar power systems, according to an Electricity Ministry statement issued on Monday. The new approvals bring the total number of licensed companies to 24.

The context: The move aims to help Iraq increase solar residential installations as demand grows among households looking to cut reliance on the strained national grid. The country’s solar residential push is supported by the CBI’s soft loan program, which was amended last week to streamline disbursements and tighten reporting requirements. The CBI program has so far attracted interest from 150 companies.

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