Work on major airport solar project in Algeria has kicked off further cementing the country as top dog when it come to renewable energy.
Algeria says it has begun construction of 1.39 MW rooftop PV system on the roof of Oran’s new airport, the Ahmed Ben Bella International Airport which will help cater for about 30% of the power needs of the facility.
The airport solar project in Algeria is being spearheaded by renewable energy developer Soliwind.
Installation of the rooftop PV set to produce 2 million kWh per year is set to be completed by the end of this year, Soliwind says.
Using 5,362 solar modules installation will cover 15,900 m2 of the roof surface of the airport.
Read:Is solar energy the ultimate solution for Africa’s power woes?
The company said the project is also complying with the environmental requirements of HQE (High Environmental Quality) new buildings.
Algeria remains ahead of the curve when it comes to renewable energy potential in Africa and with General Electric saying it aims to ride that momentum.
It targets to install about 22,000 megawatts of renewable power by 2030. This it says would be about eight times the level of natural gas consumption by today’s standards.
In March, the European Union said it was offering $42.7 million in financial assistance to support energy reform in Algeria, which is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
A third of the funds allocated by the EU will support institutional and regulatory frameworks necessary to promote renewable energy.
However, this is not the first airport solar project to be carried out in Africa. In 2016 George Airport in South Africa become the first solar powered airport.
According to management, airport would meet 41% of its energy demand from a brand new 200 square meter solar power plant built on its grounds.
It started with 3,000 photovoltaic modules, and was expected to gradually increase capacity to deliver 750Kw power when it reaches full production.
Currently India’s Cochin International airport and Galapagos Ecological Airport are the world’s entirely solar powered airport.