ABB has supplied 17 central inverters, ranging in size from 630 kW up to 1 MW for a ground-mounted PV plant on the island of Mauritius.
The 15.2 MWp plant was connected to the grid in the middle of February and will produce approximately 24 GWh of clean energy a year.
ABB also supplied and commissioned, on a turnkey basis, the medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear and power and distribution transformers, as well as a variety of high-voltage substation equipment including the new plug and switch system (PASS), to monitor and control the plant.
The project was developed by the Tauber-Solar Group, from Germany.
The inverters are installed in locally-built housings developed and provided by ABB's partner company Conecon.
"The high-efficiency and easy-to-maintain industrial design of our inverters and ABB's local technical support are the key success factors for ABB central inverters," said Ajay Vij, country manager for ABB Mauritius.
"All these together offer customers a real, bankable solution we are able to support for years to come. There is good potential in Mauritius for solar power, and I expect more projects to come."
Vij added: "Mauritius, with its population of 1.2 million people, has high ambitions to increase its use of renewable energy sources to reduce its reliance on imported energy.
"Wind power is being introduced and the government has set clear targets for solar energy as well. The country is targeting large-scale PV plants and small-scale PV installations in commercial and residential buildings.
"To increase the share of renewables even beyond these targets, energy storage systems like pumped-storage hydroelectricity systems and other advanced technology can be considered.
"The island is a kind of mini-grid, and this may be an interesting opportunity for grid stabilization equipment, of which ABB has a wide range," Vij added.
"We see the project as much more than the generation of clean energy to be fed into the grid. This project is in line with the philosophy of the government of Mauritius," said Sham Seetaram, director of SARAKO PVP Co Ltd, referring to the ‘Maurice Ile Durable' concept and ongoing program.
The ABB central inverter PVS800 series, rated from 100 kW to 1 MW, is designed for multi-megawatt PV power plants as well as large PV installations in commercial and industrial buildings.
With a wide list of approvals and with advanced and flexible grid support functions, it is possible to meet all the applicable network connection requirements, regardless of where the project is located.
To help meet bankability requirements and secure the highest return on investment, ABB supports its customers with a dedicated global service network providing a complete range of life cycle services in more than 60 countries.
ABB established its operations in Mauritius in 1998 by opening an office to provide local sales, technical expertise and service to ABB customers.
