Chinese solar PV company JA Solar has announced completion of a 10.705 MW floating solar PV power plant in Israel for local solar PV developer S'energy as the 1st project of a 50 MW contract signed between the 2 companies.
The floating PV facility has come up at the Tel Yitzhak Reservoir and utilizes idle water resources to provide green electricity. Floating solar panels are also known to save water from evaporating and saving land which otherwise would have been used for ground based solar plants.
JA Solar says its local Israeli partner Ralco Energy provided its services to the project, supporting it logistically and technically while also offering pre- and after-sales service. The facility is equipped with JA Solar's DeepBlue 3.0 PV modules for which cumulative shipments since the product's launch in 2020 grew to 24 GW by the end of June 2022.
Floating solar power plants aren't new to Israel. In February 2022, Germany's Belectric energized its 4th floating solar power plant in the country for S'energy and water utility Carmel Shore Waters with 16.8 MW capacity (see Israel Getting 16.8 MW Floating Solar Plant).
Israel aims to grow its installed solar PV capacity by 2030 to 17.145 GW and floating solar will be one of the main focus areas to realize this capacity (see Israel Eying 17 GW+ Installed Solar By 2030).