Leading company in PV energy solutions extends commitment to desert
power
TEMPE, Ariz. & MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
First Solar joined Dii as a new shareholder in March 2013. The company
was previously a Dii associated partner.
"Our extended dedication to Dii as a shareholder emphasizes First
Solar's commitment to the MENA region, where we see tremendous potential
to build a sustainable market for solar power. Dii is the ideal
industrial initiative to bring power from the deserts into reality,"
said Christopher Burghardt, First Solar's Vice President of Business
Development for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"I am very proud that First Solar decided to increase its commitment to
our initiative. With the largest solar project pipeline of nearly 3
gigawatt contracted worldwide, First Solar has an extraordinary know how
for the implementation of the Desertec vision in the MENA region. This
fits very well with the rapidly increasing interest of countries in MENA
to expand renewable energy capacity and grid infrastructure connecting
the emerging MENA market to Europe," said Paul van Son, CEO of Dii.
MENA project pipeline
First Solar is pursuing a wide range of opportunities to support the
MENA region's efforts to cultivate its considerable solar resources. The
company recently established an office in Dubai and is in an advanced
stage of opening an office in Saudi Arabia. First Solar is constructing
a 13 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant for Dubai
Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) in Seih Al Dahal, approximately 50
kilometers south of Dubai. This is the first phase of the landmark
Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, an AED 12 billion project
that is expected to eventually cover 48 square kilometers and produce
1,000MW of clean energy for the UAE's national grid using both PV and
solar thermal technology. The company also constructed a 5 MW solar PV
system for the Masdar Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company and donated a
complete 3.2 kWp photovoltaic system to the King Abdullah University of
Science and Technology (KAUST) New Energy Oasis (NEO) program in Saudi
Arabia.
About First Solar
First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) is recognized as the leader for utility-scale
PV solar power systems, with an advanced thin-film technology that
delivers superior energy yields in high-heat conditions and years of
experience designing, constructing and maintaining PV power plants that
perform in the most challenging desert environments with minimal water
consumption during operation. From raw material sourcing through
end-of-life module collection and recycling, First Solar's renewable
energy systems protect and enhance the environment. For more information
about First Solar, please visit www.firstsolar.com.
About Dii
With partner companies from 17 countries, Dii is looking to turn power
from the deserts into reality. The activities of the industry
initiative, which was founded in 2009, are focussed on creating an
industrial-scale market by 2050 for renewable energies from the desert
regions of North Africa and the Middle East. These activities include
the development of integrated energy markets and the identification of
suitable technologies for generating and transmitting energy.
Dii:
Klaus Schmidtke, Head of
Corporate Communications
+49 89 340 77 0520
schmidtke@dii-eumena.com
or
First
Solar:
Ted Meyer, Vice President of Corporate Communications
+1-480-280-6550
ted.meyer@firstsolar.com
Source: First Solar
News Provided by Acquire Media