Chinese PV Industry Brief: A big tracker deal and a green power trading platform

Solar tracker maker Arctech Solar has secured a major order from the state-owned China Machinery Engineering Corporation. Engineering, procurement and construction services contractor China Machinery will Arctech's products for the 2.1 GW for Al Dhafra PV2 solar power plant under construction in Dubai, in the UAE. The project was developed by the EDF Renewables unit of French energy group EDF and Chinese business Jinko Power HK and is scheduled for commissioning next year. Al Dhafra will sell electricity to public utility the Emirates Water and Electricity Co for $0.0135/kWh under a 30-year power purchase agreement. EDF has stated the project will be of its scale to feature bifacial solar modules. It will include more than 4 million panels across a 20km² site.

Planning authority the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and the National Energy Administration (NEA) have approved a proposal by the nation’s largest state-owned grid operators and power utilities – State Grid of China and China Southern Grid – to create a green power trading platform. State-run Xinhua News Agency has reported the trading mechanism will initially include solar and wind power and could be extended to hydro and other renewable energies. The NDRC said clean electricity will mostly be traded in two major electricity power exchange centers, in Beijing and Guangzhou.