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PV manufacturer Canadian Solar has delivered 26MW of its CS6P-P PV modules to EPC contractor TSK Solar for use in the San Fermin solar power plant project located in Puerto Rico while Altair Nanotechnologies (Altairnano) has been selected to provide its advanced battery energy storage system.
The project, which is co-developed by Uriel Renewables and Coqui Power, is located in the north eastern town of Loiza, a region which regularly faces adverse weather conditions such as hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding. Taking this into account, the project’s electrical equipment was installed on structures that are elevated two to four metres above the ground. It has also been designed to withstand winds of up to 260 kilometres per hour.
Altairnano will deliver, commission and install its 2MW ALTI-ESS Advantage energy storage system by the end of December. The system enables the electrical frequency to be adjustable and provides ramp-rate control to accommodate any sudden fluctuations in solar intensity.
The PV installation also has a very unique feature with its own predictive weather station to prepare the solar power plant for sudden increases or reductions of sunlight.
The PV plant is scheduled to complete and connect to the national grid in December. It will represent the first PV project in Puerto Rico which meets the technical requirements of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
“This PV project has proven to have an extra degree of complexity, as we needed to plan, design and engineer for weather conditions particular to the Caribbean region ranging from hurricanes and flooding to a variety of soil types. The solar plant was also designed to operate in a challenging electrical environment, with 40% overcurrent, voltage control issues and the need for a back-up energy storage system. Given this highly demanding environment, the high-quality and durability of Canadian Solar’s modules was essential in meeting the strict requirements for us and our development partner, Uriel,” stated Roberto Montes, general manager of TSK Solar. “Thanks to the robustness of our PV components, the new installation will help further stabilise Puerto Rico’s electrical grid.”
“The joint efforts, focus and cooperation of all stakeholders involved in this project have helped keep the installation on its planned schedule,” said Fernando Metcalf, president of Uriel Renewables. “Canadian Solar’s experience, module reliability and high quality has proven to be the right choice for the San Fermin project. We look forward to continue developing the relationship as we deploy our solar PV pipeline in the region”.
