NEXTracker Delivers Smart Tracker Technology to World's Largest Planned Solar Power Plant in North Africa

Sterling and Wilson selects market share leader in single-axis trackers, NEXTracker, to supply its PV technology to Egypt's Benban Solar Park

FREMONT, California, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NEXTrackertm, a Flex company, today announced that global solar EPC company Sterling and Wilson selected NEXTracker to supply 325 megawatts (5 blocks of 65 MW each) of its smart solar trackers to its project within the Benban solar park in Aswan, Egypt. The Benban solar park occupies 37-square-kilometers and, when completed in 2019, will host a total capacity of more than 1.6 gigawatts (GW), making it the largest planned solar installation in the world¹.

Egypt is increasingly turning to the sun for power as solar has become competitive with traditional generation.² The World Bank reports that Egypt relied on fossil fuels for 96 percent of its total energy consumption in 2014. Looking forward, Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports, "Egypt plans to generate 20 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2022."³

"We're thrilled that Sterling and Wilson chose NEXTracker to supply our trackers for what's predicted to be the largest solar facility in the world," said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO at NEXTracker. "We've developed a successful partnership with Sterling and Wilson, having deployed over 400 MW of trackers for their projects in India, and are delighted to be extending that partnership to North Africa. It's very gratifying to be a part of Egypt's investment in the solar industry and the country's movement towards a cleaner and brighter future."

NEXTracker's award-winning smart solar tracker, NX Horizon, holds the #1 tracker market share leadership position worldwide with over 11 gigawatts of systems sold. Serving as the backbone of small to large-scale solar power plants, the NX Horizon was designed to withstand desert environments with its completely sealed mechanical and electrical components operating at one meter above the ground. NX Horizon's smart connected PV systems can also be incorporated with NEXTracker's additional yield enhancement control software, TrueCapture, and sold with the Company's Digital O&Mtm global services for real time analytics, performance monitoring, and predictive maintenance. With its signature independent rows, high-slope tolerance and rapid assembly features, construction risk is minimized and project schedules are accelerated. NX Horizon is certified to UL 2703 and UL 3703 standards, underscoring NEXTracker's commitment to safety, reliability and quality.⁴

About NEXTracker
NEXTracker, a Flex company, advances the power plant of the future with solar tracker and energy storage innovations to increase performance and reduce costs for solar power plants. As the #1 tracker supplier worldwide with over 11 GW of trackers sold, NEXTracker is globally recognized for delivering advanced and reliable PV solutions for hundreds of projects across five continents. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Company has offices in India, Europe, China, Latin America, and Australia. For more information, visit: NEXTracker.com and follow the Company on Twitter @NEXTracker.

¹ "A New Solar Park Shines a Light on Egypt's Energy Potential," International Finance Corporation, Andrew Raven, Oct. 2017. http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/news_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/news+and+events/news/cm-stories/benban-solar-park-egypt 
² "Why Oil-Rich Gulf Arab Countries are Turning to Renewables," Bloomberg, Fatma Abusief, Oct. 25, 2017. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/why-oil-rich-gulf-arab-countries-are-turning-to-renewables 
³ "Why Oil-Rich Gulf Arab Countries are Turning to Renewables," Bloomberg, Fatma Abusief, Oct. 25, 2017. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/why-oil-rich-gulf-arab-countries-are-turning-to-renewables 
⁴ "What is UL 3703?" Solar Power World, February 23, 2016.
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2016/02/what-is-ul-3703/

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