Welink Energy is to construct a 221MW
Solar Project located in Vagueiros, Southern Portugal. When it becomes
operational, the project named Solara4 will be the largest unsubsidised
solar PV plant in Europe, generating enough power to provide 150,000
homes with electricity. It will be made up of 850,000 solar modules and
is expected to employ around 300 people during its construction. The
plant is scheduled for completion in mid-2019.
The signing of an
EPC contract between WElink, and its longstanding industrial and
strategic partner China Triumph International Engineering Co., Ltd
(CTIEC) earlier this year meant that construction of the plant could get
underway.
The increasing price-competitiveness of solar projects
is what has made WElink’s transition to unsubsidized projects possible,
alongside it and CTIEC’s ability to optimize the cost of delivery across
the chain value.
Furthermore, the favorable location in southern
Portugal means that the plant will soak up one of the highest solar
irradiation levels in Europe, making solar PV without a subsidy ideal.
WElink
Group’s Chief Executive, Barry O’Neill said of the project: "WElink
Energy is leading the way in European solar generation. We are delighted
to be in a position to commence construction on our flagship Solara4
project, demonstrating that industrial scale clean-energy can be
profitable without government subsidies and is a mature technology.”
WElink Energy’s Head of Development for Iberia, Eduardo Aguilar added:
"The
construction of Solara4 is the result of many months of great team work
to deliver this internationally significant unsubsidized project in
Portugal. Solara4 is a beacon of WElink Energy’s portfolio and is part
of a long-term strategy of development in Iberia. We are excited about
both the delivery of this project as well as the additional
opportunities Iberia represents.”
(www.pv-magazine.com)