Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), has announced the completion and grid connection of the first 10 megawatt utility-scale PV-based solar farm in China .
Located in Shizuishan, Ningxia Autonomous Region, the 10MW ground mount solar farm is the first stage of a 50MW solar plant due for completion by 2011.
The 10MW Shizuishan system is currently powered by more than 37,000 Suntech solar panels. The project will displace an estimated 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
The plant is being constructed in partnership with the China Energy Conservation Investment Corporation (CECIC), a state-owned enterprise and the largest energy company in China. Suntech designed, installed and will manage the solar farm.
Under a strategic agreement announced earlier this year, Suntech and CECIC will develop more large scale grid connect solar projects, urban building integrated PV projects, rural off-grid solar farms, and wind-solar hybrid projects. CECIC’s involvement will be primarily project investment and project development. Suntech will supply solar panels, system design, installation and technical support for all joint projects.
It’s been a busy few weeks for Suntech in terms of achievements and product developments. In September, the company announced it had again beaten all previous records for polycrystalline silicon module conversion efficiency, with a record 16.53% measured by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany. Also during September, the solar panel maker unveiled a 60 cell multi-crystalline solar module called the “Wd”.
