Energy is the driver of all economies. It is required to run the transportation, manufacturing sectors and provides general comfort in homes. Unfortunately, traditional modes of generating energy are deemed unsustainable. For this reason, countries have invested in solar power plants.
Solar energy’s sustainability is not in question. The resource is vastly available worldwide, and it cannot be metered to manipulate the market. Additionally, solar energy is clean, thus friendly to the environment. Let’s look at some of the largest solar power plants in the world.
The Biggest Solar Energy Projects in the World
After the 2015 Paris Agreement, private and public sectors dived into building solar farms to generate clean energy. The goal was to create a stable source of clean energy, therefore curbing carbon emissions. The following are some of the largest solar power plants built so far.
1. Bhadla Solar Park in India
As of 2020, this was the largest solar project in the world. Bhadla Solar Park has a capacity of 2,245 MW spreading over a total area of 14,000 acres. The plant’s construction began in 2015 and was developed in four phases, with about $1.4bn investment.
Bhadla is described as a sandy and dry arid area, making it an ideal place for putting up the solar plant. The Bhadla’s average temperatures range between 46 and 48 degrees Celsius, giving the region a reputation for an unhabitable climate.
2. Golmud Solar Park in China
These are clusters of solar projects built in Golmud, China. It has a capacity of 2,200 MW with about 672 PV arrays containing 7 million PV modules. The solar plant was constructed in five phases.
3. Pavagada, solar plant in India
The solar power plant covers an area of 13,000 acres, and it was completed in 2019. It has a capacity of 2,050 MW, making it the second-largest solar project with a cost of US$2.1 billion. The construction began in 2016.
Its location in Pavagada was strategic as it has high solar radiation as well as land availability. The area also receives little rainfall. The power plant expects to provide electricity to 700,000 households.
4. Benban Solar Park in Egypt
Another notable solar power farm is located in Egypt with a total capacity of 1,650 MW. As a result, it has an energy output of 3.8 TWh, making it the fourth-largest globally. Benban region is located 650 km south of Cairo.
This photovoltaic power station cost about $4bn, and the government provided the 37.2km² of land on which the project sits. Additionally, the solar is subdivided into four rows of 41 different plots.
5. Tengger Desert Solar Park – China
The commitment to getting clean energy has seen china develop some of the largest solar power plants. Additionally, China has vast resources, and the country is willing to spend in this pursuit.
The Tengger project is often referred to as the great wall of solar as it is spread over an area of 43 km2. It has a capacity of 1,547 MW, which made it the largest solar energy project in 2018. The solar plant is located in a desert near Zhongwei in Ningxia. There is the continuous expansion of the project where it currently has 20 PV projects integrated into one.
6. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park
Weather conditions in the Middle East are conducive for solar installation. The governments in this region have not been left behind in establishing clean energy power plants. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park covers about 77 km2, and it is located approximately 50km from Dubai city.
The first phase’s construction began in 2013, a project implemented by DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority). There are 1,013 MWp operational units, with it estimated to provide a capacity of 5,000 MWp once it is completed.
7. Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, India
India has set the stage to be the world leader in solar energy adoption. Currently, the Kurnool Solar Park boasts of a capacity of 1,000 MWp. A total of 5,932.32 acres host the project. Like many solar power plants, it is located in an arid area in the Gani and Sakunala villages.
There are over 4 million solar panels installed on the project, holding 315 and 320 Watts capacity. On sunny days, the PV plant can generate about 8 million kWh of electricity to provide energy to the Kurnool district. Constructing the plant created over 2500 jobs.
8. NP Kunta Ultra Mega Solar Park in India
India continues to dominate the largest solar power plant globally with this project, which spreads over 7,924.76 acres. The project has a 900MWp capacity.
9. Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, China
Like the Kurnool solar project, this plant in China also consists of 4 million solar panels. It spreads over 25 square kilometers. In 2017, it was the largest project in the world at a capacity of 850MWp.
This project is located in the Qinghai province of China. It produces 220-gigawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power 200,000 households. During its first construction phase, it provided a capacity of 320 MWp. The solar project is integrated with the hydroelectric plant.
10. Villanueva solar plant, Mexico
With a capacity of 828MWp, this is the largest solar plant in North America. The Mexico state-owned Federal Electricity Commission distributes the electricity generated through this project.
The plant will supply electricity for over 15 years with an estimate of 1.7TWh per year. The electricity will be enough to power 1.3 million households and offset carbon emissions of more than 783,638t.
The Largest Solar Power Plants in the USA
In the last few years, the US dominated the largest solar projects. However, India and China have set up larger projects surpassing this. That said, there are still large solar power plants in the US. These are:
1. Solar Star
Solar star solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant is located in California, near Rosamond. During its completion in 2015, it was the largest plant in the world. It is spread across 13 square kilometers with 1.7 million installed solar panels with a 747MWp capacity.
2. Copper Mountain Solar Facility
There are about nine cadmium telluride modules on this plant spanning over 1,400 acres. It was commissioned in 2010, where it was the largest solar plant in the world. It is located in Nevada.
3. Desert Sunlight Solar Farm
Desert sunlight solar plant has a capacity of 550-megawatt MWAC located in the Mojave Desert in California. There are about 8.8 million cadmium telluride modules, and it was commissioned in 2015. Construction began in 2011. It sits on an area of about 16 square kilometers.
4. Topaz Solar Plant
It is one of the most famous solar power plants in the world. Constructions began in 2011 and ended in 2014. It was a $2.5 billion project where 9 million CdTe photovoltaic modules were installed.
As you can tell from the trend, there is the construction of newer solar plants every day, each with greater capacities than the previous one. As a result, countries are realizing their energy goals and helping reduce carbon emissions. It remains to be seen which nation will dominate the world solar market in the coming years.
You can be part of the change. Install solar panels on your premises to reduce carbon footprint and cut utility bills. Dynamic Slr can help you install a reliable and durable solar panel system at affordable costs. Are you in Texas? Give us a call today and start the journey to solar energy.
