Italian solar inverter manufacturer, FIMER, has provided its technology for a 1.4 MW (megawatt) rooftop solar system on the Ahmed Ben Bella International Airport in Oran, Algeria’s second largest city. The rooftop solar PV system is the largest installation of its kind in Africa and one of only a few global examples where solar has been used as a primary source of power for an airport.
Playing a key role in powering the largest rooftop solar site on an African airport is a great achievement for FIMER
Filippo Carzaniga, FIMER’s chairman
Algeria has traditionally relied on off grid power sources such as UPS and gas gensets to power major commercial infrastructure. The project helps accelerate Algeria’s ambition to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel energy. The facility enables the Ahmed Ben Bella International Airport to reduce carbon emissions and become more self-sufficient.
Solar rooftop system part of Algeria’s renewable energy plans
Algeria is blessed with vast solar energy resources, the country boasts some of the highest solar irradiation in the world. The North African country plans to have 13.5 GW (gigawatt) generated from solar plants by 2030 as part of a major enlargement and modernisation initiative.
“This project is significant as it demonstrates the potential of solar as a major source of power for significant commercial buildings in Algeria, particularly for critical pieces of infrastructure such as airports. Being able to play a key role in powering the largest rooftop solar site on an African airport is a great achievement for FIMER. We are pleased to see our reliable and efficient inverter technology helping to maintain uptime as well as support the wider solar generation ambitions of Algeria,” said Filippo Carzaniga, FIMER’s chairman.
Partnership with Globale Réalisation
FIMER worked in partnership with Globale Réalisation, which was responsible for setting all electrical systems at the airport. The company installed 46 FIMER TRIO-27.6 string inverters, which provide all the reliability and flexibility needed to handle any constraints and guarantee a technically-sound plant design. The inverter also has an efficiency of 98.2 percent and comes with two independent MPPTs (Maximum Power Point Tracker) for the best energy harvesting, no matter if the PV plant is arranged with more than a single orientation.
In addition to the string inverters, the project also uses FIMER VSN800 weather station to automatically monitor site meteorological conditions and PV panel temperature in real-time, transmitting sensor measurements to the data center.
The CEO of Globale Réalisation, Mahdi OUNADI, commented: “Algeria is a country that has benefited from rapid population, urbanization and economic growth. With a climate that is highly favourable to solar, we expect this high-profile project to provide an example of what can be achieved, and to encourage future investment in the technology. We chose to work in partnership with FIMER as its inverters are perfectly suited to the outdoor installation and we are able to use its monitoring system to collect and analyze data to ensure the plant is performing in the most efficient way possible. As a result, this project also helps to demonstrate the potential of PV for future major infrastructure projects.”
